NFL Rumors: Le'Veon Bell Officially Out In Pittsburgh? Steelers Will Not Tag Star RB

The Pittsburgh Steelers could look very different on offense in 2019. The ongoing trade drama surrounding star wide receiver Antonio Brown has somewhat overshadowed the fact that star running back Le’Veon Bell sat out the entire 2018 season. On Wednesday, Steelers GM Kevin Colbert made it sound like Bell will play in another uniform next season.

Colbert said the Steelers will not use the transition tag to increase their chances of keeping Bell, according to team reporter Missi Matthews. Between Tuesday and March 5, the Steelers could have applied to tag to Bell, which would have let them match any offers the running back got in free agency.

By not doing so, the Steelers are essentially letting Bell walk free. Colbert also offered an update to the Brown saga, saying Pittsburgh will only trade the receiver if it helps the team. According to Colbert, there have been no serious trade talks with anyone yet.

The expectation for some time has been that one or both players would leave the Steelers in the offseason. Bell’s self-imposed hiatus was evidence enough that he was done in Pittsburgh, while Brown has made it abundantly clear that he wants to go somewhere else in recent months.

Colbert’s comments came just a day after Brown revealed he had personally met with team owner Art Rooney II. Brown claimed both he and the Steelers mutually agreed a trade was best for all involved, which was corroborated by media reports later.

Both players will likely be courted by teams with an abundance of salary cap room and a need for offensive firepower. The New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts come to mind; Bell played into speculation by getting dinner with Jets safety Jamal Adams and tweeting about it earlier this month.

Assuming the Steelers lose both players, the team’s offense could take a step back in 2019. James Conner was respectable in replacing Bell last year, but the Steelers were still 31st in rushing yards per game.

Similarly, losing Brown means losing more than 100 catches and 15 touchdowns worth of production in 2018. JuJu Smith-Schuster actually had more catches and yards than Brown last year, but it remains to be seen what he can accomplish without an All-Pro talent taking attention away from him.