The Pittsburgh Steelers will travel to Tampa Bay this week in search of their first win of the season, following a tie against the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 and a 42-37 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
Ahead of the Steelers' Monday night showdown against the Bucs, Pro Bowl running back Le'Veon Bell was spotted in Florida, but it doesn't appear that he's ready to end his holdout just yet. Bell, who forfeits $852,941 each week he fails to sign his $14.5 million franchise tag, has instead been enjoying himself on a jetski in Miami.
TMZ Sports relayed the following footage of the 26-year old star on Monday.
In Bell's absence, second-year running back James Conner has handled the workload just fine. Against the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, Conner racked up 135 yards and two rushing downs on 31 carries in addition to five catches for 57 yards. Conner had just eight carries for 17 yards against the Chiefs, though he did manage to find the endzone. He also caught five passes for 48 yards.
Bell can become a free agent in 2019 as long as he signs the franchise tender by Week 11, and the longer he remains away from the team the more likely it seems he'll wait until the last possible minute. His agent, Adisa Bakari, recently told NFL Live (H/T ESPN), "Le'Veon has several years left in football, we know his days in Pittsburgh are precarious at best, we also know how he's been utilized in the past by the Steelers organization." He added, "That's nothing to say negative about the Steelers. They had one of the best players to play the position and they used him heavily for the production he can provide, but in doing so you take away from his future years."