Opinion: Pittsburgh Steelers Should Release Le’Veon Bell Following Yet Another Potential Drug Suspension

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell is facing a four-game suspension for missing a drug test, according to Pro Football Talk. In the NFL’s current drug policy, a missed test is as good as a positive test. Bell is currently appealing the suspension, which is the only reason the suspension has not yet been officially announced.

Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell reportedly facing four-game suspension. https://t.co/rVQogI6PMh pic.twitter.com/Nx5S1wLAKb

— Sporting News (@sportingnews) July 22, 2016

According to ESPN‘s Dan Graziano, no date for Le’Veon’s appeal has been set yet, but it’s expected to happen prior to the start of the 2016 NFL season. That means, if the suspension is upheld, Bell will be forced to miss the first four games of the upcoming season.

Last season, Le’Veon Bell was suspended for the first three games of the year after being arrested on DUI and marijuana possession charges in 2014 after being pulled over on the way to the airport for a preseason game with teammate LeGarrette Blount in the car.

Bell appealed that suspension as well as his attorneys and the NFLPA argued that Le’Veon was punished under the NFL’s new drug policy for an offense that occurred under the old one. An arbitrator told the two sides to work towards a settlement, and Bell eventually served a two-game suspension to start the 2015 season.

Following that suspension, the Steelers’ general manager Kevin Colbert released the following statement.

“As I have stated before, we were disappointed in Le’Veon Bell’s actions last August. Le’Veon made a mistake and now he must learn from his mistake and focus on eliminating distractions from his life. We look forward to continuing to work with Le’Veon to try to help him reach his full potential as a person and as a player.”

On the first day of the Steelers’ 2015 training camp, Bell was asked about the suspension.

“I want to make sure I do everything in my power to be a better teammate and player,” Bell said. “Whatever the consequence is, I’ll take it…. You have to take the good with the bad.”

This time around, Le’Veon’s suspension could have major implications on the Steelers’ season. Pittsburgh enters 2016 as one of the chic picks to win Super Bowl 51, but it will be tough to accomplish that feat with Bell potentially sitting out the first four games. The Steelers’ will have to play at Washington, home to Cincinnati, at Philadelphia and home Kansas City potentially without the services of Le’Veon.

Sources: Steelers Le’Veon Bell set to face four-game suspension for violating NFL’s drug policy, missed drug test. https://t.co/SMWXfdlCWM

— ESPN (@espn) July 22, 2016

A lot of people will argue that Le’Veon Bell is only 24 years old and that he’s only making mistakes that people in their 20’s make, but most people don’t have 52 other teammates and an entire organization relying on someone in such an important role. Sure, DeAngelo Williams filled in admirably last season, but he doesn’t provide the Steelers’ offense with the same explosiveness that Bell does.

The Steelers will already be without wide receiver Martavis Bryant for the entire 2016 season due to a suspension. Now the offense will potentially be down two of its biggest pieces for the first four games, which will allow defenses to focus more blanketing Antonio Brown. With Ben Roethlisberger at the helm, Pittsburgh may be fine, but more of the onus is going to fall on the shoulders of Ben and Brown to breed success in Le’Veon’s absence.

If I’m Colbert and the Steelers, and Bell’s suspension is upheld on appeal, I’d be ready to cut him as soon as the decision is handed down. There is no excuse for blatantly missing a drug test, especially after what happened last season. At some point, the Steelers have to realize that Le’Veon Bell cares more about Le’Veon Bell than the rest of his team as his actions are certainly speaking for themselves.

[Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images]