Le’Veon Bell Says Pittsburgh Views Him As A ‘Villain’ After He’s Not Given Long-Term Deal..Again

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Here we go again.

We are seven months removed from Le’Veon Bell filling out an application at Dairy Queen when the Steelers remained silent on Bell’s $17 million demand. The Steelers slapped Bell with the franchise tag and he responded by sitting out the entire off-season and preseason before having one of the best seasons of his young career–running for nearly 1,300 yards and finding the end zone nine times.

Well, it looks like Bell won’t get that elusive long-term deal he desires because for the second year in a row, the Steelers have franchise tagged the 26-year-old dual-threat running back. Not great news for a guy who is seeking at least $14.5 million per year over the course of a long-term contract. As the contract drama heats up, Bell claims he has no problem sitting out preseason games (again) or even regular season contests.

According to ESPN, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said rescinding the tag is unlikely, but he’s hopeful Bell is with the team in late July.

From the looks of this cryptic tweet, the two parties are still worlds apart.

Le’Veon’s tweet ripping the city comes just weeks after he posted this one, likely lobbying for a longterm contract.

Yes, Le’Veon Bell is one of the best running backs in the league. But he comes with some risk–lets not forget about the DUI with LeGarrette Blount and his failure to take a drug test the year after. Add on Bell’s theatrics on social media, and its not outlandish to think that the Steelers just don’t want to deal with his shit in the long-term.

UPDATE: Bell has one supporter in former teammate and current Patriots linebacker, James Harrison:

[h/t ESPN]