Running back Le’Veon Bell ended his self-imposed 2017 absence from the Steelers on Labor Day, but the holiday came and went this year without Bell rejoining the team.
Browns coach Hue Jackson still expects to see Bell when the teams meet this Sunday, but Bell’s teammates say they aren’t focusing on the running back. Center Maurkice Pouncey shrugged off the idea that Bell’s absence is a distraction while defensive end Cam Heyward said the team is going to pay attention to the players in the building.
“My focus is on this team and who is here,” Heyward said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “When Le’Veon gets here, he gets here. But until then, let’s ride. It won’t be a distraction. We’re seasoned for that, I think. I just think where we want to get to, the goals we have in mind, that stuff will be under the rug. If he comes on this journey, he comes on this journey. We put him in the backseat, strap him in and be ready to go.”
Until Bell arrives, James Conner is the No. 1 back and left guard Ramon Foster expressed confidence that the offense will be in good shape as long as that’s the case.
“If we start off with James, I think we’ll be fine either way,” Foster said. “He’s a guy who has worked his butt off. He’s made strides. He’s made us confident in him. He gets the start, we roll with him. No disrespect to [Bell], but this is a moving train.”
There’s still a few days before that train leaves the station, but it looks like a good chance that Bell won’t be catching it until a future stop.