Le'Veon Bell Responds to Steelers OL's Comments on Holdout: 'Whoa'

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell offered a one-word response upon seeing the comments several of his offensive linemen made about his failure to report to the team on Wednesday. 

"Whoa." 

Bell is in the midst of a holdout after he couldn't agree to terms with the Steelers on a new long-term deal. The only way he will be allowed to play for Pittsburgh this season is if he signs his $14.5 million franchise tag. 

Bell's agent has refused to disclose his client's plan, but he hinted the two-time All-Pro could stay away from the team for an extended period to prioritize his long-term health. 

"Le'Veon has several years ahead of him in football. We know right now his days in Pittsburgh are precarious at best. We also know how he's been utilized in the past by the Steelers organization," agent Adisa Bakari told ESPN's NFL Live on Wednesday, per ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler. 

"That's nothing to say negative about the Steelers," Bakari said. "They had one of the best players to have ever played this position and they rely on him heavily for the production he can provide, but in doing so, you take away from his future years."

Several members of Pittsburgh's offensive line didn't take kindly to those remarks and Bell's subsequent lack of action. 

"Why play hide-and-seek? Why let your agent say this? Just man up and tell us what you're going to do," center Maurkice Pouncey said, according to NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala. 

Left guard Ramon Foster didn't hesitate to express his displeasure, either. 

"What do you do? Here's a guy who doesn't give a damn, I guess, so we'll treat it as such," Foster said, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette. "I just hate it came to this. He's making seven times what I make, twice as much as Al [Villanueva] is making, and we're the guys who do it for him."

According to Fowler, Bell isn't likely to play Sunday versus the Cleveland Browns "barring an unforeseen development." He will forfeit $852,941 a week for each game he skips. 

As long as Bell signs his franchise tag by Week 11, he will officially accrue a season's worth of work and be eligible for free agency in 2019.