Steelers now listening to Le'Veon Bell trade offers, per report

Le’Veon Bell’s standoff with the Pittsburgh Steelers has stretched into the third week of the NFL season, and the team may now be looking to for a clean break from the saga.

According to ESPN, the Steelers are now listening to trade offers for the all-pro running back who has remained away from the team throughout the offseason and into September. Bell, 26, has refused to sign the franchise tender the Steelers gave him in March, which marked the second season in a row the team had exercised the tag.

In both instances, the Steelers and Bell could not agree to terms on a long-term contract by a July deadline. So Bell’s options are limited in that he can report, sit out or see if the Steelers decide to trade him.

Last season, Bell touched the ball 406 times for 1,946 yards from scrimmage and 11 total touchdowns. In recent interviews, Bell’s agent, Adisa Bakhari, has hinted that Bell’s holdout may be related to his usage in Pittsburgh – especially with the potential for his client to hit the open market in the likely scenario that the Steelers refuse to issue a third-consecutive franchise tag or reach a long-term deal in the offseason.

The franchise tag Bell has refused to sign is worth $14.5 million. With each week he misses, he forfeits $855,000.

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In Bell’s absence, the Steelers have been relying on second-year running back James Conner, who has registered 257 total yards and three touchdowns in two starts.

Follow Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @LorenzoGReyes.