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The Pittsburgh Steelers and Le’Veon Bell used to be a match made in heaven. The two were destined to wreck defenses around the league together.
Then came the franchise tag.
Then came another franchise tag.
Enter a season-long hold out and that loving marriage turned into a bitter divorce.
Steelers players ransacked Bell’s locker, made comments about their teammate to the media and broke all those unwritten rules of the NFL “brotherhood”.
A lot has taken place since then, including Bell signing a wealthy contract to be the running back for the New York Jets, the team the Steelers play this week in Week 16 at Metlife Stadium.
During his weekly press conference, Mike Tomlin was asked about what his relationship with Bell is like now that he has left Pittsburgh. His response said it all...
“I have none. I don’t communicate with him. He is a New York Jet.”
And with that the press conference moved on to other topics and questions pertaining to the Steelers’ playoff push and their upcoming slate of games remaining in the 2019 regular season.
But you knew players would be asked about going up against their former friend and teammate this Sunday. Who better to speak on the upcoming matchup than offensive captain, Maurkice Pouncey.
This is what Pouncey said via Twitter to Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
Maurkice Pouncey kept saying how he loves Le'Veon Bell because of "no one can ever break apart the brotherhood of the NFL."
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) December 18, 2019
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So, Maurkice, that means you, Le'Veon and Myles Garrett will all go bowling some day?
"Yeah, why not? I might have me a flu game. Roll me a 251."(Laughs)
Pouncey is obviously poking fun at the scandal which swept across the Jets fan base when Bell didn’t participate in a game due to being sick, but still went bowling and touted his 251 score with the flu.
It is a guarantee other members of the team will be poked and prodded regarding the upcoming game vs. the Jets, and Bell, but fans shouldn’t sit around and wait for someone to say they can’t wait to get their hands on him. Rather, be prepared for a lot of stock, standard answers to questions trying to get players to say what they really feel regarding how Bell ended his tenure with the Steelers.
This is just what the players will likely say, but how they truly feel may never be known, but I’m sure defenders aren’t going to mind being able to lay the boom on Bell for the first time since he was drafted in 2013.
Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the black-and-gold as they prepare to travel to play the Jets in a huge Week 16 game.