Trading Bell

Steelers might be open to dealing their disgruntled running

The Pittsburgh Steelers have begun to listen to trade offers for disgruntled holdout running back Le’Veon Bell, according to ESPN.

Two weeks after reporting that the Steelers refused to engage in such talks, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said the opposite is now true.

Bell refuses to sign the second consecutive franchise tag the Steelers slapped on him, which would have guaranteed him a US$14.5-million salary 2018. He’s now lost three weekly salaries $853,000 because of the holdout.

The deadline for any team to negotiate a longercontract with a tagged player is mid July. So any team that might acquire Bell would stand to lose in free agency come March — which sharply drives down Bell’s trade value.

There is nothing, however, preventing a team that might acquire Bell via trade from paying him more than the $853,000 weekly salary this season.

Bell earned $12.1 million in 2017, in his first year of being tagged.

Earlier this month Bell’s agent told ESPN that his client’s aim is to protect his long-term health. That sparked a couple of Steelers offensive linemen to slam Bell and his chosen absence.

Bell — one of the NFL’s top rushing/receiving dual-threat running backs, sees himself worth more than even the salaries of the league’s top running backs. He reportedly believes he’s worth closer to $20 million per year, as a hybrid runner/receiver. He and the Steelers have not come close to agreement on a long-term deal over the past yearand-a-half.