After a disappointing loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars this past Sunday, the Steelers’ offseason has begun a bit prematurely. There were hopes of getting past the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship en route to another Super Bowl appearance, but those hopes were dashed after a Blake Bortles led Jaguars’ offense scored 38 out of their team’s total 45 points in the 45-42 win. On the Steelers’ part, there were a lot of missed offensive opportunities and their defense resembled the holes in swiss cheese. However, since the offseason has begun, it is time for the Steelers’ front office to make some key decisions regarding coaching personnel and, perhaps more importantly, the status of Le’Veon Bell’s contract.

​

Bell publicly stated over the past week that he may sit out 2018, or even retire from football, if he receives the franchise tag again. With the franchise tag, Bell would make about $14.5 million in the 2018 season, up a bit over a couple million dollars from this year’s salary. Steeler fans know how difficult it was for Bell to agree to receive this past year’s franchise tag, so it would seemingly be impossible that he stays in Pittsburgh if he is tagged again, which can only mean one thing for the Steelers: Bell needs to be signed to a long term deal immediately. He has also stated that he wants to stay in Pittsburgh, but at the same time is willing to walk if the money is not right. Bell has earned a massive payday from the Steelers, and while professional athletes are vastly overpaid in the eyes of the public, the bottom line is that the best of the best have to be paid to stick around. It is sad that money is the primary incentive for athletes to stay in one place or move to another, but that is the reality, especially in the case of Bell. He has earned his payday with his play in his first five seasons as an NFL player.

​

Bell has been one of the top-tier and most unique running backs in the NFL since he entered the league in 2013. What is amazing about Bell is his patience and trust in his offensive line to create holes. Most backs will try to burst through the tiniest of holes or run according to the play design, not so with Bell. He searches for holes and has the quickness to burst through them to pick up a decent gain. While he does rely on his offensive line a lot, it cannot be argued that Bell has some of the most tremendous instincts, vertical acceleration and lateral quickness in the game. And statistics prove him to be one of the best rushing tailbacks in the league, so his patience is paying off. In three of his first five seasons, Bell has placed in the top five rushing leaders with 1,000 yard seasons, even with his suspensions and injuries. He even placed third this past season, despite not playing in the preseason, not attending training camp and getting off to a slow start in the regular season.

​

In addition, his versatility at the running back position is virtually unmatched. Seriously, if he was not designated on the roster as a running back or the Steelers somehow found a better running back to carry the load, Bell could easily be put at a wide receiver spot on the roster. He has been a consistent hot read and screen option for Ben Roethlisberger over the past number of seasons. Whether it is running or receiving, Bell can make guys miss as if someone was playing as him on the rookie difficulty on Madden. So many times has he created space for himself to run with jukes, spin moves or anything else that can break a man’s ankles. Not to mention, he has made some spectacular catches that many wide receivers would have trouble hauling in. Take for example the touchdown catch he made this past Sunday against the Jags. Granted, he was being covered by a linebacker, but was it ever a spectacular catch that kept the Steelers in the game? It was early in the third quarter with the Steelers down by 14 when Roethlisberger lobbed up a pass to Bell in the corner of the end zone. With a linebacker draped all over him, Bell reached out behind the defender’s back, laid out and survived the ground to make a highlight-reel catch. And again, the statistics do not lie. Three times has Bell placed in the top five of NFL players in all-purpose yards, eclipsing 2,000 yards in 2014.

​

Another reason for the Steelers to sign Bell to a long term deal is the potential he has to offer to the franchise. He is only 25 years old and seemingly has a lot of football years left, barring continued injuries and suspensions. It is unfortunate, but it has to be said. Roethlisberger does not have many years left before retirement, and whoever replaces him at the quarterback position will have some giant shoes to fill. Roethlisberger’s replacement will likely face many challenges living up to fans’ and front office expectations, and will likely not live up to those expectations, from a passing yardage perspective anyway. So, the new quarterback is going to need a tailback that be relied upon to handle the rock, both in the passing game in the running game. Bell has proven himself to be effective in both of those settings, and would likely assist his new quarterback in adjusting to the offense. In a nutshell, Bell would make any quarterback look a heck of a lot better just by getting the ball to him.

​

While Bell may be viewed as another cog in the Steelers’ offensive machine, he is the key to keeping all defenses honest and helping the Steelers run a relatively balanced attack. Defenses have to constantly be aware of his presence because he can hurt them in so many ways. Without him, the Steelers would have to rely on guys like James Connor or Fitzgerald Toussaint. Not to knock on either of those men; they are great running backs and are in the NFL for a reason, but let us be real. Which one of the three aforementioned tailbacks would you want on your team for the long haul?