Ex-NFL running back Le'Veon Bell finally owned up to his act of hubris several years ago and issued an apology to Steelers fans.
The Pittsburgh Steelers went through a whirlwind of emotions with former running back Le'Veon Bell: excitement, bitterness, and now, probably indifference.
So when Bell issued a public apology to Steelers fans on social media on Sunday, most people probably listened to Bell's words and shrugged. He made his choice. The Steelers made theirs.
For a quick refresher, Bell spent his first five seasons in the league in Pittsburgh, and at the height of his career, he chose to sit out for an entire season rather than sign the franchise tag. The two-time All-Pro and OPOY candidate racked up 1,200-plus receiving yard seasons in 2016 and 2017; then, in 2018, contract negotiations between Bell and Pittsburgh broke down.
Pittsburgh tried to place the franchise tag on him for the second consecutive year, but Bell refused to sign it and staged a holdout for the ages.
Five years later, Bell has finally apologized for his actions, calling Steelers fans the "best damn fans" in the world and that he should never have left.
Ex-Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell apologizes for sitting out 2018 season
Of all the contract disputes in NFL history, Bell's did get a little nasty. His holdout hurt Pittsburgh's Super Bowl hopes that year, yet at the same time, the NFL community may have understood Bell's intentions. He wanted to secure his bag for the future, and he ended up going to extreme measures to get it.
Bell signed a four-year, $52.5 million deal in March of 2019, which is to say: his holdout worked. He bet on himself, and he won.
After that, Bell's career took a freefall as he struggled in New York, got released within two years, and bounced around a few other NFL teams.
One could hypothesize what Bell and the Steelers' future would have been like if Pittsburgh had re-signed him, but what's the point? They each made grown-up decisions in their respective best interests, and even if Bell claims he regrets leaving the franchise, the Steelers probably don't regret letting him walk considering his price point at the time.
Fans clamoring for an apology from Bell were just holding onto bitter grudges. Time to let bygones be bygones.