Agent: Health is Bell’s priority

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Adisa Bakari, the agent for disgruntled Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, hinted Wednesday that his client might not sign his $14.5 million franchise tender for some time.

In an interview with SiriusXM NFL radio, Bakari would not disclose Bell’s reasoning behind not reporting to the Steelers, but he made it clear Bell is interested in getting to free agency healthy and without the wear and tear from another 400-touch season.

“I’m not going to discuss our plan publicly, but if you’re Kevin Colbert and you’re Mike Tomlin, and you have a once-in-a-generation type of player for one more season, what would your plan be?” Bakari asked.

Bakari then said: “You can read in between those lines.”

Bell is not under contract and is under no obligation to report to work this week. He can sit out up to 10 weeks and still get credit for an accrued season under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement. That means Bell could sit out those weeks, play six games and any playoff contests and still become a free agent in March.

Bell would forfeit $853,000 for every game he misses, but he might feel it’s worth it for him to be healthy in March because he expects a big payday. Bell is expected to seek $17 million per year on his next contract.

Bell touched the ball 406 times last season. He had 321 rushing attempts for 1,291 yards and caught 85 passes for 655 yards.

In July, Bakari said Bell would report this week and play in the opener unless “something exceptional happens.”

When asked what changed in the past two months, Bakari said: “We had something exceptional occur.”

“Le’Veon has every intention of making this season the best season of his career,” Bakari said. “That has not changed. That’s his intention — to make this the best statistical season of his career.”

Bakari believed he had a deal in place for Bell with the Steelers in the summer of 2017, but Bell nixed the contract at the last minute. That deal was for an annual salary of more than $12 million per season with more than $30 million guaranteed over the first two years of the contract.

This summer Bell reportedly turned down a fiveyear contract worth $70 million.