No he isn't. Steelers probably won't tag bell so he can go sign somewhere else which is probably what he wants. Now that Conner is established bell might not play preserving his body.
Pittsburgh having Connor doesn't make Bell any less valuable for one of the other 31 teams. He wasn't staying with Pittsburgh long-term anyway, so Connor's emergence just means than when Bell does report (he has to by week 11 or so), Bell won't have to play as much this season, which is exactly what he wants anyway.
Conner is doing things that Leveon has never done. Conner has four games of 100+ yards and 2 TDs this year. Leveon has three for his career. Conner has one less touchdown this year than Leveon's best season. Yardage wise, he's on pace to end up around Leveon's second best season. The averages are basically a toss up. Conner's pass catching rate is a tad below what Leveon averaged, but he's also averaging as many yards a catch as Leveon's best season, which leads me to believe that he's catching the ball further from the LOS. I watch a lot of Steelers games and that's what the eye test says too. Maybe he's not a better player, but he's so close and young that you can say he has the ability to be a better player. And he's not a knucklehead like Leveon. Basically, Bell has gotten want he wanted out of this. And he's lost himself a good bit of money.
As the Fantasy Football owner of James Conner, I hope Leveon sits out the whole season even though we all know he is gonna at least sign on before week 11
Apparently not true. It seems like it's pretty realistic that he would just sit out the whole season. http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/25187177/leveon-bell-talked-steelers-unlikely-report-week Bell said the Steelers told him they plan to place the transition tag on him this offseason, and a source confirmed to ESPN that the tag would be worth approximately $9 million to $10 million. The transition tag would allow Bell to negotiate with other teams and allow the Steelers to match any offer. If the Steelers match, regardless of the offer, Bell would have to sign that deal with Pittsburgh. Bell does not have to report to the Steelers by a certain date to get an accrued season, contrary to what ESPN and others previously reported. Bell already has played the four-plus seasons he needs to become a free agent after the season.
Wow, completely agree. No reason for him to come back at this point and risk injury. Someone is going to pay him big time $$$ in the offseason, and whether the Steelers match or not, he gets his dough.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports Le'Veon Bell isn't expected to report before Tuesday's franchise tag deadline. It means Bell will forfeit his remaining $6.84 million salary and sit out the entire season. Bell already counts as a third-year franchise player for 2019, so there's not much upside in him returning to a timeshare with James Conner. He also avoids injury and potentially extends his career. Bell will either be transition tagged or allowed to walk next offseason, where he'll become one of the highest paid backs in the league. The Steelers can move forward with Conner under team control through 2020.
Le'Veon Bell is not reporting to the Steelers by the 4 pm deadline today and is now ineligible to play the remainder of the 2018 season, source tells ESPN. His season is over. Bell will become an unrestricted free agent this winter, when the bidding for his services will begin. sup texans 2019
that's what it looks like but this brings up some good points. by not reporting, Bell forfeits the remaining $6.84 million on his $14.544 million tender. 26-year-old Bell has framed this as betting on himself and doing what is right for his fellow running backs, but this is money he will never make back. There is no guarantee a 27-year-old runner is going to cash in on the open market after sitting out an entire season healthy. Even if he does, a running back passing up $14.544 million guaranteed for one season of play in the modern NFL is not a sound business decision. It's not fair, of course, but it is reality.
This is why the NFL players have crap contracts. If you all the NFL players were willing to do this they would get paid.
Think he'll get paid because too many teams need the upgrade, and there's no reason to think he's in any form of decline. He should be able to make up the 14 million. Houston is an ideal situation.
OMG! I was thinking the same thing!!!!! Better than him going to Indy, Jacksonville, or Tenn though...LOL.
Bell was getting paid something like 50-70% more than the next highest paid RB. No running back in the league makes nearly what he would have this year, and he's unlikely to make up the lost $14MM in future career earnings.