After initial reports about the severity of Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell’s sprained foot put his timeline for recovery at six to eight weeks, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin gave a more optimistic read on the situation.
Tomlin said that Bell was able to do physical activity “without discomfort” and said that he had not been told that Bell would definitely be out for any specific length of time. It may have just been a coach trying to stay positive, but there’s now another suggestion that Bell may be further along the road to recovery than it seemed at the time of the injury.
Dale Lolley of the Washington Observer-Reporter reports that Bell has shed the walking boot he had been wearing to protect his foot since suffering the injury. Lolley says there’s still no definitive timetable for his return, but it’s a positive sign for Bell that his foot is well enough structurally to lose the support offered by the boot so soon after getting hurt.
Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer are expected to handle the majority of reps while Bell is out. If things break right for the Steelers, that may not be a very long time.