By Rachael Cataldo, Asst. Sports Editor
All the sports media outlets have been asking the same question for months. Even before NFL training camp began, people were wondering “Where is Le’Veon Bell?” “When will he be returning to the Steelers?” As a huge Pittsburgh fan and a football girl in general, I’m going to be honest with you.
I could care less when or if Bell ever returns to the Steelers. Second-year running back James Conner has had booming success and I personally believe the Steelers are better off without Bell on their roster
First, the statistics do not lie.
According to an article on a sports and pop culture website titled “The Ringer,” Conner has been recording numbers greater than numbers Bell put in the book at his best. Conner is second to only Rams running back Todd Gurley in yards from scrimmage (1,085) and rushing yards (706) and tied for fourth in total touchdowns (10.)
Conner has 5.7 yards per touch, which is almost a full yard more than Bell’s last season when he was named first-team All-Pro.
Fantasy football players with Conner on their roster should be very happy since he is ranked third among running backs in fantasy points per game in standard PPR, or points per reception leagues.
Conner was named the AFC Offensive Player of the month in October for his success on the field.
During the Nov. 4 matchup against conference-foe, the Baltimore Ravens, a color commentator working for CBS said, “Just for embarrassment sake, the Ravens as a team have one rush of 20+ yards on the season, while James Conner has eight.” Now, Conner is the only player in Steelers history with 1,000 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns through the first eight games of a season.
Let’s switch gears for a bit and talk about Bell’s criminal history.
Bell was suspended for the first four games of the 2015 regular season after he was arrested with then teammate LeGarrette Blount on DUI and marijuana charges in August of 2014.
History repeated itself when Bell was once again suspended in 2016 for the first three games of the regular season.
Bell was suspended for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy and missing a drug test in December. In the beginning of the season, many sources talked about Bell’s parties he hosted in Miami for releasing a new album.
Who’s to say that history won’t repeat itself yet again?
As the Steelers head into their Week 11 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, there is still no sign of Bell.
Tuesday, Nov. 13 was Bell’s deadline to report and he did not. Therefore, he’s losing out on $14.5 million and an incredible season with the Men of Steel.
Interview after interview, press conference after press conference, many Steelers players and head coach Mike Tomlin show their frustration with Bell and even refuse to answer questions about him.
Mike Tomlin’s response to Bell not showing up was “so be it,” in a press conference late Tuesday afternoon.
I’m hoping and praying that the Steelers can make their way to Super Bowl LIII and bring home their seventh Lombardi trophy. I think they can easily do that with their Killer B’s: quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, wide receiver Antonio Brown, and kicker Chris Boswell.
With that being said, I think they can do it without one Killer B: Bell.
Conner has proven himself and I believe he will continue to lead the team to victory. Bye Bye Bell.
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