Le’Veon Bell returns to the Steelers

It’s good news for the Steelers, but they’re still just delaying the inevitable until Bell gets a contract offer he likes.

Le’Veon Bell is a man of his word after all. He promised to end his holdout on the first day of September, and he has delivered, as he returned to Pittsburgh Steelers practiced earlier today. Unfortunately for Blizzard fanatics, you won’t be seeing him behind the counter at your local Dairy Queen anytime soon.

Bell will likely play out the 2017 season on the franchise tag, where he’ll earn $12 million and hit the market once again in a few months if the Steelers don’t work out a deal soon. For now, though, the franchise back is back and ready one week before the regular season kicks off.

Realistically, Bell had to come back soon if he wanted to get his money. His only two options were to sit out the season or sign the tag. He made the right choice betting on himself, and if Bell is the same monster he’s been for the last four years, he’ll drive his market price up even more.

On Wednesday, Bell released a “diss track,” and while it’s amazing to listen to, it doesn’t tell us much about how negotiations are going with the Steelers. He does drop one bit of info though:

Somewhere near the middle, he says “Imma need 17, because 26 a savage.” Obviously, Bell wears number 26, and 17 refers to $17 million a year. That’s up $2 million from the contract demand he made in his previous rap. If nothing else, you have to applaud the guy for creativity.

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You know Bell’s going to be updating his demands throughout the year as more players get paid, especially running backs and wide receivers, since he views himself as someone who plays both at a high level. Who knows, he’s probably already driven his price up after the DeAndre Hopkins mega-deal. It would be in the Steelers best interest to pay up and pay soon.