PITTSBURGH — Le’Veon Bell insists it was just business. All of it.
The eight-month sabbatical from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Instagram posts highlighting his workouts while he was away.
His refusal to sign his franchise tag until less than a week before the 2017 season opener.
Nothing personal. Bell just didn’t see the point in showing up for training camp and risking an injury that could jeopardize both his team’s championship aspirations and his own long-term fiscal future. So the Pro Bowl running back waited until Monday to put pen to paper.
“I didn’t want to get hurt in camp,” Bell said shortly after completing his first practice with his teammates since January. “My rookie year I remember getting hurt in camp, so I didn’t even want to deal with it. I wanted to get here, get ready for Game 1, get ready for games that count.”
A couple of squiggles and Bell officially became the highest-paid running back in the NFL, though the one-year, $12.1-million contract he signed wasn’t the more lucrative long-term one he was seeking. Bell declined to get into specifics why he and the Steelers were unable to reach an agreement, and isn’t sure where a report that indicated he nixed a new contract came from.
“It was in a private room, I just want to leave it at that,” Bell said. “I don’t want to talk contract situation. I just want to keep it moving.”
GIANTS: New York is keeping everyone guessing about star receiver Odell Beckham’s status for the opener against Dallas.
Beckham, who has not practiced since spraining his left ankle in a preseason game on Aug. 21, rode a stationary bike during the portion of practice that was open to the media Monday as the Giants started preparing for the opener in Dallas on Sunday night.
Coach Ben McAdoo continued to be vague in discussing Beckham’s injury.
He said that the three-time Pro Bowler did not practice and instead worked with the training staff.
BILLS: Starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor took the next step in recovering from a concussion by returning to practice.
How Taylor feels over the next few days will determine whether he will be cleared to open the season against the New York Jets on Sunday.
Speaking before practice, Coach Sean McDermott expressed caution in saying Taylor has shown signs of improvement, but remains in the concussion protocol.
The team then announced during practice that Taylor’s on-field participation is part of the evaluation process in determining whether he can be cleared to play.
RAMS: Los Angeles claimed quarterback Brandon Allen off waivers from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Rams also waived receiver Nelson Spruce after reaching an injury settlement with the homegrown talent.
JETS: New York placed linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin on injured reserve and re-signed linebacker Bruce Carter.
VIKINGS: Minnesota claimed tight end Blake Bell off waivers from San Francisco.
The Vikings waived rookie tight end Bucky Hodges with an injured designation, meaning he can be placed on injured reserve if he clears waivers.
FALCONS: Atlanta released defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman two days after he was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list because of domestic violence charges in 2016.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.