Le’Veon Bell takes the high road with Steelers fans
Le’Veon Bell’s time with the Steelers might be coming to an end, but he wants Pittsburgh fans to know he’s going to go out with a bang.
Pittsburgh’s inability to ink Le’Veon Bell to a long-term deal on Monday almost certainly means it’s his last season with the Steelers. Fortunately for the team, early indications are that Bell is highly motivated to have a terrific finale for the fans.
In a somewhat surprising move, Bell took to Twitter to speak directly to fans after news broke that he wouldn’t be re-signing with the team. Despite his history of immature behavior, he took the high road when talking to Steeler Nation. He expressed regret that he and the team couldn’t agree on terms. Bell was also careful to say that both he, and the team worked hard to come to an agreement.
The important piece of the tweet for fans is that he’s planning to make 2018 his best season yet. He didn’t give any indication when he wants to join his teammates in training camp, but it’s clear he isn’t going to take his foot off the gas pedal before he hits free agency.
to all my Steeler fans, my desire always has been to retire a Steeler...both sides worked extremely hard today to make that happen, but the NFL is a hard business at times...to the fans that had hope, I’m sorry we let youu down but trust me, 2018 will be my best season to date...
— Le'Veon Bell (@LeVeonBell) July 16, 2018
Of course, Bell has a lot of financial incentives to play great in 2018. His production in his last season with the Steelers will go a long way towards determining how much a new team is willing to offer him in the offseason. He will certainly hit the market looking for a long-term deal that will make him the highest paid back in the NFL.
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Time will tell whether or not Bell’s actions will match his words. The real proof about his attitude towards the Steelers will be reflected by how well he plays in 2018. Just because it’s his last year in Pittsburgh, it doesn’t mean he can’t do his best to go out with a Super Bowl for the Steel City.