When the Pittsburgh Steelers were forced to put the Exclusive Rights Franchise Tag on Le’Veon Bell for the second straight season, they knew there was no way Bell would show up to anything in the offseason, or preseason, without a long-term contract.
This is exactly what he did last season while on the franchise tag, and many wondered if his absence impacted his overall ability to help the offense early in the season. Statistics aside, Bell feels his absence during Organized Team Activities (OTAs), mandatory minicamp, training camp and the preseason has a huge benefit to him, and his health.