Le’Veon Bell gets the franchise tag from Pittsburgh Steelers

It comes as very little surprise, but the Pittsburgh Steelers have placed the franchise tag on running back Le’Veon Bell, who was scheduled for free agency.

Franchise Tag news has been rolling in on Monday, and Pittsburgh Steelers star running back Le’Veon Bell is the latest to receive it:

This is hardly a surprise to anyone, as Bell was expected to receive the tag all along. With Adrian Peterson likely to be released from the Vikings in the near future, the franchise tag number for running backs could decrease from the $12 million it was last year.

In terms of the long-term deal potential with the Steelers and Bell, it could be more financially responsible for them to franchise tag him the next two seasons than meet his demands. As ESPN recently pointed out, Bell had to backtrack off of a line he put in one of his songs called ‘Focus’:

"I’m at the top and if not I’m the closest, I’ma need 15 a year and they know this."

If/when Peterson is let go from the Vikings, making Bell the highest paid running back in the NFL might be an easier pill to swallow. Right now, Peterson is scheduled to count $18 million against the cap, and that’s simply something no team is willing to pay for a running back, especially when the next highest paid back is making under half that much (LeSean McCoy).

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Pittsburgh has some big decisions to make forthcoming, and they have been working to get a long-term deal done with wide receiver Antonio Brown as well. There are some players they may have to sacrifice, but keeping the core of their offense together could be the key to their championship window.

Of course, Bell presents the added risk of getting a suspension from the NFL, and the next one he  receives will put him out for a significant period of time, so there’s definitely cause for concern when handing Bell a lot of long-term cash.

The Steelers are usually very financially responsible, and aren’t every any worse for wear. This is a team that has a culture of winning and a great business approach, so it stands to reason that they will find a way to keep Bell happy while also sticking to their principles.