Le'Veon Bell Trade Rumors: Colts, Jets, Browns Have Cap Space To Pull Off Unlikely Deal With Steelers

There’s at least a chance that when Le’Veon Bell ends his holdout, he won’t be playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers. According to multiple reports, the team is no longer completely rebuffing trade offers for the running back.

When Bell didn’t report to Pittsburgh for the first week of the 2018 NFL season, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Steelers weren’t even considering dealing their star player. Now that the All-Pro is about to miss his third straight game, the team is listening to offers, though a trade remains unlikely.

A few obstacles stand in the way of Bell being dealt before the Oct. 30 trade deadline.

Pittsburgh probably wouldn’t receive much of a package in return for Bell since the running back can’t sign a contract extension with any team until the season is over. Without a new deal, Bell might choose to stay home for a few more weeks, no matter what team might trade for him.

Only a limited number of teams can fit Bell under their salary cap. The 26-year-old will be owed $855,529 per week once he reports to his team.

If Bell chooses to return for Week 4, he’ll make $11.9 million for the remainder of the season. The Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans and New York Jets are among the nine potential trade partners that have more than $12 million in available cap space, according to Spotrac. If Bell still hasn’t reported to Pittsburgh by the week of the trade deadline, half of the league’s teams would be able to absorb his salary, assuming they don’t add any other players.

The latest betting odds indicate that Pittsburgh is still favored to be Bell’s team later this season. The Colts have the best odds of any NFL team to acquire Bell, followed by the Jets, Browns and Texans. None of those teams have a winning record after Week 3.

The Steelers won’t be above .500 when Week 4 begins. Pittsburgh enters their “Monday Night Football” matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a 0-1-1 record. The defending AFC North champions are alone in last place.

James Conner led the NFL with 135 rushing yards as Bell’s replacement in Week 1. He totaled just 17 rushing yards on eight carries in Week 2, though it didn’t stop the Steelers from scoring 37 points. Pittsburgh is eighth in yards per play this season.

Bell had 1,291 rushing yards, 655 receiving yards and 11 total touchdowns in 15 games last season. The running back has 7,996 yards from scrimmage in 62 career games since being drafted in 2013. Bell is hoping to save his body by missing the start of this year as he aims for a lucrative contract in the 2019 offseason.

Todd Gurley received a four-year, $60 million contract in the offseason with a reported $45 million guaranteed. Just before the season started, the Arizona Cardinals gave David Johnson a three-year, $39 million contract with $30 million guaranteed. Both running backs were drafted two years after Bell entered the league.

Bell entered this season with $14.561 million in career earnings.