The Pittsburgh Steelers and Running Back Le’Veon Bell have failed to agree on a contract extension before the deadline. This makes it very likely that the 26-year-old will say goodbye at the end of the season.
The Steelers have failed to retain their superstar Le’Veon Bell for the long term, threatening a retirement of the running back after the end of the 2018 season. This season Bell is still playing under the franchise day and will collect 14.5 million US dollars for it, in the coming off-season he will then become Unrestricted Free Agent.
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Bell demanded an annual salary of 17 million US dollars – probably too much for the Pennsylvania franchise. “He intended to end his career as a steeler, but now that there is no deal, it is likely to be his last season as a steeler,” Bell’s agent Adisa Bakari told ESPN. “They have made it clear that they want to pay the position and not the player.”
Bell himself did not want to speak of a possible farewell yet and gave his fans additional hope for the coming season. “It has always been my wish to end my career as a steeler,” wrote Running Back on Twitter. “Both sides have worked hard to reach an agreement, but the NFL is a tough business. I’m sorry we disappointed the fans who had hope. But trust me, 2018 will be my best season yet.”
As a consequence of the collapsed negotiations, Bell could boycott the Steelers’ training camp. Some media in Pittsburgh even speculated about a game boycott, but Bell’s tweet suggests that he does not want to abandon games.