For the second straight year, the Pittsburgh Steelers have applied the franchise tag on All-Pro running back LeVeon Bell. The team formally announced the news earlier in the day and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport first reported the team placed the tag on him.
The #Steelers have officially franchise tagged RB Le’Veon Bell again, source said.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 6, 2018
The Steelers want to keep Le’Veon Bell in a Steelers uniform, and they moved in that direction when they placed the franchise tag on him. This is the second consecutive year that Bell has had the franchise tag placed on him, therefore the tender differs from those previously announced by the NFL. Bell will receive a one-year tender worth a reported $14.544 million, a percentage increase over his $12.12 million tender in 2017. The Steelers have until July 16 to reach a long-term contract with Bell, at which point he would have to play under the one-year tender.
LeVeon Bell tweeted yesterday that he wanted to remain with Pittsburgh for the remainder of his career.
Pittsburgh: the city that took in a 21-year old kid from small-town Ohio, the city I battled thru adversity in, the city that I became a man in. I love everything about being a Pittsburgh Steeler, and I want nothing more than to finish the rest of my career in Pitt! #26Forever pic.twitter.com/mhs2ikpK71
— Le'Veon Bell (@LeVeonBell) March 6, 2018
But then shortly after the news of his tagging was released he quote tweeted some of his statistics with the caption ‘lol what more I gotta do to be wanted?’. Bell previously said if he was franchise tagged again he would consider sitting out or retiring.
lol what more I gotta do to be wanted? https://t.co/Dq5oe5hRZ4
— Le'Veon Bell (@LeVeonBell) March 6, 2018
It’s not hard to see LeVeon Bell’s importance to the Steelers organization. Their offense would change dramatically if Bell wasn’t on the field for Pittsburgh as we saw to a small degree when he was suspended the first four games to start the 2016 season. In 2017 he posted his most career carries this past season along with his third career season with over 1,200 rushing yards.
