PITTSBURGH, PA – DECEMBER 10: Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receiver Antonio Brown (84) dances after scoring a big catch during the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 10, 2017 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pa. (Photo by Mark Alberti/ Icon Sportswire)
Le’Veon Bell’s holdout is causing a lot of drama in Pittsburgh. Antonio Brown seems to be the only potential peacemaker for the Steelers.
It’s safe to say Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers are ready for the regular season to begin. Everyone in the locker room is growing tired of talking about Le’Veon Bell and his holdout. Antonio Brown is the only member of the franchise who seems to be working to open the door for the Pro Bowl running back to return.
The majority of Steelers players have come out in recent days to express their opinion about just how selfish Bell is. Center Maurkice Pouncey has gone so far as to declare Bell’s potential replacement, James Conner, as a budding star. None of that exactly encourages the talented Pro Bowler to end his holdout and come back into the fold.
Fortunately, Brown is serving as the one voice of reason in the Steelers locker room. He understands that Bell’s decision to hold out isn’t a personal shot at any of his teammates. Instead, it’s a simple case of a player trying to obtain fair payment for the production he provides his team.
The Pro Bowl wideout makes no secret that Bell will immediately become a part of the family again when he comes back into the locker room. That’s the attitude the rest of his teammates need to take. Holding a grudge against Bell isn’t going to help Pittsburgh win additional games in 2018.
The question still remains exactly when Bell is going to show up. There are substantial rumours that he actually wants to miss games in an effort to make sure he isn’t overused by the team. The general thought is that the Steelers might try to push Bell’s body to the limit because they won’t be concerned with the rest of his career. That’s a cold philosophy, but the NFL is historically a cold business when it comes to players and their bodies.
The bottom line is that the Steelers need Bell back on the field to reach their full potential this season. Ultimately, everyone on Tomlin’s team is going to need to realize that. The talented runner may not be the most popular guy in the locker room at the moment, but look for the resentment to melt away when he starts to contribute on the field again. As soon as he’s helping Pittsburgh win football games again, his teammates will forget all about his alleged selfishness.