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Le'Veon won't play for Steelers this year, declines to sign franchise tag

Charles RobinsonNFL columnist,Yahoo Sports•November 13, 2018

PITTSBURGH – For all intents and purposes, the Le’Veon Bell era in Pittsburgh appears to have ended.

In a move that will likely propel the Steelers running back into free agency in the offseason, Bell did not sign the team’s franchise tag tender on Tuesday. As a result of not signing before the league’s 4 p.m. ET deadline, Bell is not eligible to play the remainder of this season and will once again qualify for free agency in March.

The Steelers will have the option to designate Bell as their franchise player again this offseason, but the one-year salary tied to Bell’s third straight franchise tag is expected to exceed $25 million, a payout believed to be far too prohibitive for a Pittsburgh return.

A few hours before the deadline, head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters Tuesday that Bell hadn’t returned a text message or phone call from him throughout the impasse.
 
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