Some members of the Pittsburgh Steelers are clearly frustrated that star running back Le’Veon Bell hasn’t reported to the team amid a lengthy contract holdout, but Antonio Brown doesn’t appear to be one of them.
One of the top wideouts in the game tweeted his support of Bell on Thursday night just prior to the first game of the National Football League season. The support comes despite the fact that Bell is almost certainly set to miss Pittsburgh’s season-opener, and no one knows for certain when the arguably the best running back in the league returns to the Steelers.
Much of the frustration that leaked out of the Steelers locker room on Wednesday appeared to be a result of players believing Bell would report that day, giving him a chance to play in Week 1. When that didn’t happen, players felt like they were misled, or at the very least had falsely gotten their hopes up. But on Thursday night, Brown enthusiastically supported Bell, Tweeting that he’s “family” and saying the team will be ready for him to come back whenever he’s ready.
We all we got, we all we need. Ready to roll whenever you get back with us, family ✊🏿 @LeVeonBell pic.twitter.com/ukPRUdoqe4
— AB (@AB84) September 7, 2018
Brown’s show of support, though a bit belated, is a sign that at least one of the biggest voices in the locker room, and clearly the biggest piece of the Steelers offense that’s currently with the team, is behind Bell and will patiently wait for things to get sorted out. There’s something to be said for the camaraderie that comes with players getting their just payday from NFL teams. Think back to the way New York Giants receivers greeted the news that Odell Beckham Jr, would become one of the highest-paid players in the league. When good news comes, players react positively.
The situation in Pittsburgh is fraught, though, and some my think Bell’s spat with ownership — one that likely ends his tenure in Pittsburgh one way or another — is hurting the players in the locker room just as much as it is hurting owners and the front office. But as Barry Sanders pointed out, this is about business decisions on both sides of the dispute. The problem is, only Bell has to worry about whether it’s taken personally or not.
