The biggest story of the first week of the 2018 NFL season is that Le'Veon Bell has still not shown up at the Steelers' facility. Everybody knew all summer that Bell was frustrated about being franchise-tagged again rather than signed to a long-term deal. Everybody expected him to skip all of training camp, just as he did a year ago. But pretty much everybody also expected him to show up in time for Week 1. That has not happened.
There is, however, still a chance that Bell could technically report in time for the team's Week 1 matchup with the division rival Cleveland Browns. He just won't be playing in it. And, surprise, the reason Bell could actually show up the day before the Steelers-Browns game is about money.
Here's NFL Network's Ian Rapoport explaining:
As the world waits for #Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell, there is no indication when he'll show up. A Saturday arrival would allow him to receive his game check, but there is no clear evidence that he's made plans to do that. pic.twitter.com/1ohfkRMgjJ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 6, 2018
Bell's agent mentioned concerns about his client's workload earlier this week when addressing why he had yet to report to the team. Reporting on Saturday would allow Bell to get paid for all 16 games while only playing 15, thus reducing his workload by (presumably) 25 touches or more. That's not a whole lot in the grand scheme of things, but when you're talking about a player likely ticketed for 25 to 30 touches a game and heading into unrestricted free agency next year at age 27, every touch counts.
Of course, it's entirely possible Bell elects to manage his workload even more and stay away from the team until, say, 10 games into the season -- the absolute latest he can report and still gain free agency next offseason. If he does that, however, he'll lose out on multiple game checks. Showing up Saturday is the only way he can get every penny he's owed under the tag and still reduce the wear and tear on his body, even if only slightly.
