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Demarcus Lawrence Wasn’t Going To Have ‘A Le’Veon Bell Situation’ After Being Tagged Twice

When Le’Veon Bell first began contract negotiations with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017 after they placed the first of two franchise tags on him, he framed his position with historicity, considering himself a pioneer or trailblazer of sorts for a revolution of the running back market. Whether or not he actually cared, the notion was that his efforts would lead to a new frontier for the position financially.

To that end—or rather to his own end—he skipped the 2018 season rather than sign a franchise tag for the second time, which would have paid him over $14 million, but would have put his body at risk of injury that could have hindered his ability to sign a lucrative long-term contract in 2019.