Think back to 2015.
As the Pittsburgh Steelers prepared for the season, and the New England Patriots to kick off the new year, the team found out they would be without running back Le'Veon Bell for the first 3 games of the season due to his run-in with the law during his joy ride with LeGarrette Blount. After an appeal, Bell's suspension was reduced to two games, but the incident put him in the NFL's substance abuse policy for the remainder of his employment within the league.
Fans watched and read how Bell was apologetic to the fans, his family and the Steelers organization for putting them in such a predicament. Bell swore to straighten up following the suspension. In the back of fans' minds was the fact although Bell would be missing the first two games of the season, coming off a knee injury would give him more time to heal, hopefully for a full 2015 campaign.
We now fast forward to 2016.
Bell, coming off a more significant knee injury, now faces a 4-game suspension after reportedly missing a drug test -- which the league views as a failed test -- and it seems like deja vu all over again. Fans will certainly claim the season isn't lost, and his knee will have more time to heal, but ultimately this news couldn't come at a worse time, for the Steelers and Bell himself.
For the Steelers, missing Le'Veon Bell for the first four games (at Washington, vs. Cincinnati, at Philadelphia, vs. Kansas City) isn't as simple as just plugging in another player. Sure, DeAngelo Williams has more than proven himself as a person who can carry the load, but Williams is a far cry from the talent of Bell.
Bell is a mismatch nightmare for defenses. Move him to the slot and you can't move a linebacker to cover him, and even some safeties will look foolish against Bell. Placing a cornerback to cover a running back will only leave players like Antonio Brown with more room to burn you.
With Bell in the lineup the Steelers offense is almost like a video game roster. Without Bell, they can still win games, but are far less dynamic. Fortunately for the Steelers, the suspension will have him only missing a quarter of the season, and not a more severe penalty.
As for Bell individually, as he enters his final year of his rookie contract, he very well could have lost himself millions of dollars on the negotiating table. If, and this could be a much bigger 'if' than most fans think, the Steelers want to keep him around, signing a player already with two strikes could be enough to lower the price tag significantly.
Before fans look at Bell as being on the proverbial clearance rack for his off-field transgressions, how much, and how long of a contract, would an organization be willing to offer a player with such off the field issues. Compound the fact the organization is already going through a similar situation with another young star in Martavis Bryant just makes the entire situation worse.
There is no real silver lining in this situation. The 2016 Steelers are poised for a run at a Lombardi trophy, and it is absolutely sickening to think off-field issues, not injuries, could jeopardize such a run before it even starts. Is the team's 2016 season over before it started? Absolutely not, but to think they will be starting the season without Bell, again, is a huge issue both on and off the field.