Steelers empty Bell’s locker
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers spent the better part of 10 months waiting on Le’Veon Bell to show up for work. They said all the right things, stressing they understood the star running back was making a business decision by opting to stay home in hopes of protecting himself ahead of a potentially lucrative payday next spring.
They planned to welcome him with open arms whenever he returned.
On Wednesday, with Bell’s absence for the rest of the season a certainty after he declined to sign his one-year, $14.5-million franchise tender, they exhaled — and pillaged.
Bell’s teammates invaded his locker after practice, helping themselves to whatever they wanted (or at least whatever fit) with Bell’s career in Pittsburgh all but over. It wasn’t personal. Just business.
It might have been a celebration of sorts to honor (they
hope, anyway) the last time they’ll have to answer questions about Bell’s unorthodox approach, one that included leaving his teammates in the dark about his plans.
“I think we all just assumed he’d be here and it’d be the same as the year before,” offensive guard David DeCastro said. “It amazes me in this day and age when you can tweet about things but you can’t talk to each other. You’re so connected, but you’re disconnected at the same time. It’s really interesting when you think about it from the big-picture side of it. After that, it is what it is, you stop worrying about it and you just move on.”
That’s something the AFC North-leading Steelers (6-21) are more than happy to do. They take a five-game winning streak into Sunday’s road game against the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6) looking for a bit of revenge against a team that beat them twice last season at Heinz Field, including a 45-42 stunner in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Bell finished with 157 total yards and two touchdowns in the loss. Pittsburgh players cleaned out their lockers the following day, with Bell among them. Despite saying he wanted to be a “Steeler for life,” he never returned.
“He was a great teammate here, a great football player,” Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “To each his own on what they want to walk away from.”