Bell won't 'settle for anything less' than his worth, retirement still an option
Le'Veon Bell intends to stand firm in order to get paid what he believes he's worth to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who tagged the star running back for the second consecutive season Tuesday.
"We're not coming to a number we both agree on - they are too low, or I guess they feel I'm too high," Bell told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "I'm playing for strictly my value to the team. That's what I'm asking. I don't think I should settle for anything less than what I'm valued at."
Bell added that he wasn't bluffing when he talked about considering retirement in January, saying, "I just have to decide if I'm going to play when the time comes."
Bell's tag is set at around $14.5 million due to rules stipulating the tender must be 120 percent of his previous salary, and the runner said he won't accept a lesser annual amount than the tag number in a long-term deal.
The Steelers have increased their long-term offer compared to last season, Fowler added, but while Bell said the two parties are "a lot closer than last year," the number remains short of his expectation.
The 26-year-old produced a spectacular 2017 season, finishing second in the NFL in yards from scrimmage and finding the end zone a total of 11 times.