Pittsburgh Steelers star running back Le'Veon Bell is expected to return to the team today and sign a one-year $12.1 million franchise tender, after his training camp holdout.
Bell wasn't recently pressured to end his holdout in a video posted to Snapchat by Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown and linebacker Bud Dupree. Today, Le'Veon issued a response with a freestyle rap he posted on twitter, wherein he says "Imma need 17, cause 26 is savage."
Bell raps,
“AB, yeah, I see ya’ll cuz,” Bell said in a video posted on social media, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Big dog, I got pups bigger than Air Bud. Are you aware, Bud, why I’m not at practice? I’mma need 17, cuz 26 is savage. They say the franchise should be enough. Pockets of Professor Clump. Let me get back to my day, I can’t keep showing Buddy love.”
He has been reluctant to sign the Steelers' deal because he feels he deserves a salary equal to the NFL's elite wide receivers, such as Antonio Brown, who make substantially more than the top paid running backs. The 25-year old star has averaged 130 yards from scrimmage per game over the course of his four-year NFL career, including at least 75 receptions in two of the last three season. Because of Bell's abilities as a dual threat running back, he will likely become the NFL's highest paid running back once he signs a long-term deal - the only question is how much will the Steelers be willing to pay him compared to the NFL's elite running backs.
The "17 (million)" Bell raps about would easily make him the highest paid running back in NFL history, doubling the $8 million that Devonta Freeman - who is the highest paid RB in the sport - is due annually. Freeman, also 25, was scheduled to make just $1.79 million this season in the last year of his rookie contract, but will now rake in over $8 million annually as part of the 5-year $41.25 million extension that he signed this off-season.
Check out Bell's rap below.
https://twitter.com/_/status/902986246846377985
