Le'Veon Bell Rumors: Steelers RB Won't Report to Team This Week

Running back Le'Veon Bell reportedly won't be joining the Pittsburgh Steelers prior to Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns. 

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported on Monday a source told colleague Jim Trotter that Bell won't join the team this week. The three-time Pro Bowler has not been with the team all season as he continues his holdout that started during the offseason and kept him away from training camp.

This comes after Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reported on Oct. 2 that Bell was expected to return to the Steelers during their Week 7 bye or prior to their Week 8 game with the Browns.

Instead, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported they "have not heard anything from the running back and still don't know when he will return." Schefter cited sources who said Bell will wait to return to Pittsburgh until the NFL's Oct. 30 trade deadline passes because the team can't trade him until he signs his franchise tender, meaning prolonging the holdout will prevent him from being moved.

Steelers owner Art Rooney II didn't sound eager to trade Bell when he told Rapoport, "I expect him to be a member of the team going forward. That's my expectation."

Pittsburgh is still 3-2-1 and sitting in first place in the AFC North without him thanks in part to a strong effort from James Conner. The second-year back has 103 carries for 453 yards and seven touchdowns while serving as a threat in the passing game with 26 catches for 257 yards.

Still, Bell is one of the most dynamic running backs in the league who surpassed 1,200 rushing yards and 600 receiving yards in each of the last two seasons.

Adding him to an offense already featuring Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster on the outside and Conner in the backfield will give Pittsburgh even more weapons as it looks to eventually compete with the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs and others in the AFC playoffs.