To the surprise of absolutely no one, Le’Veon Bell did not report to the Steelers on Tuesday, thereby rendering himself ineligible for the remainder of the 2018 season and officially forfeiting every dime of the $14.5 million he’d have earned by signing the franchise tag back in September. The relationship between Bell and the Steelers, which was rooted in animus and contentiousness but underpinned by a mutual understanding that a “fair” offer for both sides was not a realistic thing, had turned sour after two years of stalled contract negotiations and social media gaslighting; if you thought Bell being absent was a distraction, imagine the dank haze of awkwardness that would’ve enveloped the locker room had Bell made his glorious return at the 11th hour.
3 key questions in the aftermath of the Le’Veon Bell contract saga
