What isn\u2019t clear is how Bell\u2019s absence will affect the 12\/1 odds the Steelers have of winning this year\u2019s Super Bowl, according to Westgate.<\/p>\n
As Bell\u2019s holdout has loomed over the start of the season, the Steelers\u2019 Super Bowl odds have dropped from the 10\/1 tag the team carried just last week.<\/p>\n
There are rumblings around the league that Bell could holdout until Week 10.<\/p>\n
Bell\u2019s gripe with the team is over receiving the club\u2019s franchise tag for the second consecutive year. Teams can apply the franchise tag to one player each offseason season to prevent them from signing with another team in free agency. The franchise tag is a 1-year contract that pays the player the average of the league\u2019s top five salaries at his position.<\/p>\n
Bell earned just over $12 million playing under the franchise tag last year. He\u2019d stand to make $14.5 million under this year\u2019s tag, but has maintained he will not play again unless he receives a long-term contract.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, his absence reached a boiling point with Steelers teammates who said they\u2019re moving on without him.<\/p>\n
According to an ESPN report, one Steelers player said that Bell \u201cf—-d us\u201d by not showing up to play. His teammate Ramon Foster, whose job it is to block for Bell, said the running back \u201cdoesn\u2019t give a damn\u201d and another lineman said the holdout is<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\u201cWe have a game this Sunday. Now we\u2019re all the way into the game plan as of Wednesday. And you\u2019re still not here? It\u2019s bigger than just business,\u201d center Maurkice Pouncey said.<\/p>\n
For each game Bell decides to miss, he will also miss out on a check of $855,000. Bell must return to action by Week 11 to become eligible for free agency next spring. If he decides to call the organization\u2019s bluff for the first ten weeks, he would miss out on $8.5 million in salary.<\/p>\n
While missing out on $8 million might seem foolish, Bell has his sights set on a larger payday. Earlier this summer, Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley signed a four-year contract extension with an average annual value of $14.3 million.<\/p>\n
While playing under the franchise tag in 2018 would make Bell this season\u2019s highest paid running back, it doesn\u2019t provide the long-term stability and total money he is apparently looking for. Bell reportedly turned down a 5-year, $70 million contract offer from the Steelers this summer. The deal would have paid him an average annual salary of $14 million. The NFL Network reported that Bell is seeking a contract that pays him $17 million per season.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n