What Is Bell Is Tagged Again
PITTSBURGH -- At historic period 25 and fresh off a first-team All-Pro flavor, Le'Veon Bell is putting his own football game time to come in question.
The Pittsburgh Steelers running back told ESPN that he's prepared to sit out a season, or even retire, if franchise tagged for the second consecutive year.
"I hope it doesn't come to that, simply I would definitely consider it," he said earlier Thursday's do.
Bell played on a $12.1 one thousand thousand franchise tag in 2017, and that number is projected to increment to around $xiv.5 1000000 for next flavor. Teams tin can tag a player between Feb. twenty and March 6, after which they would have until July 16 at 4 p.grand. ET to piece of work out a long-term contract.
"Just get the numbers straight, exactly where we want them. I'grand not going to settle for anything. I know what I do and what I bring to the table. I'yard non going out hither getting the brawl 400 times if I'grand not getting what I experience I'm valued at."Le'Veon Bell
Last July, Bell turned down a long-term contract that reports said was worth up to $30 million in the first two years because he felt the team didn't value his full skill set.
Asked what the Steelers should do this offseason, Bell said only: "Value me."
"Simply get the numbers directly, exactly where we want them. I'm not going to settle for annihilation," Bell said. "I know what I practice and what I bring to the tabular array. I'm not going out here getting the ball 400 times if I'm not getting what I feel I'yard valued at."
Bong rushed 321 times for ane,291 yards and defenseless 85 passes for 655 yards, along with xi total touchdowns, in 2017. Bell has 7,996 total yards through 62 career games, which is the near of any NFL player over that span since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, outdistancing Eric Dickerson (vii,842), co-ordinate to ESPN Stats & Information.
Bell said he would "probably be done" with football if he did sit out 2018.
"It will eventually come down to me playing on the tag or not," Bong said. "They tag me over again, information technology will be me [saying], 'OK, do I want to play on the tag or do I not want to play on the tag?' That'southward what information technology comes down to. If I was a gratuitous amanuensis and they let me go, be a complimentary agent, then yeah, I'm going to go explore gratis bureau, test the market place."
Bell is comfy with his legacy in the game and makes clear he cares more than almost setting a precedent for running backs than earning a few extra million dollars. From his patient running manner to his business organisation approach, Bell is fatigued to doing things differently, he said, and the nascence of his daughter final yr has become a factor for him to consider.
"I've fabricated a lot of money, I'm happy where I'1000 at, I've got a practiced family -- I don't actually need to play football," said Bell, who has fabricated around $16 meg for his career. "Right now, I'm just kind of doing it because I love it. Now, I've done everything but ain a Super Bowl ...
"I don't necessarily care most the money aspect of it. I merely want to exist valued where I'm at. If I am playing this game, I want to gear up standards for all the other running backs behind me, like Todd Gurley and Ezekiel Elliott, Melvin Gordon, guys like that. I'one thousand a guy they can kind of look at. I experience I tin do that. I'm in a position where I can exercise that, and I'm going to practice it."
After Thursday, Bong took to Twitter to farther emphasize that his focus is on winning the Super Bowl, not what happens next year.
I'm trying to win a super bowl...I tin care less nearly what happens after this season...my biggest thing I'm focused on is this team I'k on right at present, playing for/with my brothers, & bringing back a 7th ring! what happens side by side yr is irrelevant to my goals
— Le'Veon Bell (@L_Bell26) Jan 11, 2018
Asked about leaving a productive career on the table, Bell cited his favorite player growing upward, Barry Sanders, who retired with good years left in his legs.
Sanders played 10 years. Bell has played five. The years are irrelevant, Bell said.
"It'southward almost leaving a legacy. People will always remember what you did," Bell said. "That'southward why I run the way I run. I feel similar I wanted to run differently than everybody else did. And I want to do things that everybody else hasn't done. That'south how I've envisioned everything going forward."
Bell hopes that vision includes a long championship career in Pittsburgh -- but on his terms.
"I desire to be here, finish my career here," Bell said. "But if not, I'll merely handle it yet I've got to handle it."
Source: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/22044556/leveon-bell-pittsburgh-steelers-sit-2018-retire-tagged-again
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