PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers spent the better part of 10 months waiting on Le’Veon Bell to show up for work. They said all the right things, stressed they understood the star running back was making a business decision by opting to stay home in hopes of protecting himself ahead of a potentially lucrative payday next spring.
And they’d welcome him with open arms whenever he returned.
On Wednesday, with Bell’s absence for the rest of the season a certainty after he declined to sign his one-year, $14.5-million franchise tender, they exhaled.
And pillaged.
Bell’s teammates invaded his locker after practice, helping themselves to whatever they wanted – or at least whatever fit – with Bell’s career in Pittsburgh all but over. It wasn’t personal, just business, a celebration of sorts to honor the last time they’ll have to answer questions about Bell’s unorthodox approach, one that included leaving his teammates in the dark about his plans.
“I think we all just assumed he’d be here and it’d be the same as the year before,” guard David DeCastro said. “It amazes me in this day and age when you can tweet about things but you can’t talk to each other. You’re so connected, but you’re disconnected at the same time. It’s really interesting when you think about it from the big picture side of it. After that, it is what it is, you stop worrying about it, and you just move on.”
That’s something the Steelers (6-2-1) are more than happy to do. They take a five-game winning streak into Sunday’s game at Jacksonville (3-6) looking for a bit of revenge against a team that beat them twice last season at Heinz Field, including a 45-42 stunner in the divisional round of the playoffs.
CHARGERS: Defensive end Joey Bosa practiced for the first time in two months as he tries to come back from a foot injury.
Bosa did individual drills during the portion of practice open to reporters. Coach Anthony Lynn said he is trying to slowly work Bosa back in but acknowledged there’s a possibility he could play Sunday against Denver, depending on how well the third-year lineman does in practice.
The Chargers are 7-2 and have won six straight despite Bosa’s absence. Bosa has 23 sacks in two seasons, including an NFL-record 19 in his first 20 games.
BROWNS: General Manager John Dorsey says interim coach Gregg Williams will be interviewed to be the team’s next coach.
Williams took over when Hue Jackson was fired on Oct. 29 after winning three games in two-plus seasons. Dorsey has been pleased with how the team has performed while splitting two games under Williams, their fiery defensive coordinator. The 60-year-old Williams coached Buffalo in 2001-03.
THE NFL has moved the Chargers at Steelers game on Dec. 2 to prime time, replacing the 49ers at Seahawks matchup originally scheduled for Sunday night.
San Francisco-Seattle will move to 4:25 p.m. on Fox.
Also, the Dec. 9 game between the Rams and Bears moved to 8:20 p.m., and the Pittsburgh at Oakland game moves from a night contest to 4:25 p.m. on Fox.
This Sunday night’s game, Minnesota at Chicago, previously was flexed from daytime, replacing Pittsburgh at Jacksonville.
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