Le’Veon Bell (26) had his suspension reduced to from three games to four. Photo Credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell had his four-game suspension reduced one game by the NFL on Friday.
Bell, starting the campaign under suspension for the second straight season for violating the league’s policy on substance abuse, will miss Pittsburgh’s first three regular-season games. He will be eligible to return for Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The fourth-year running back initially was facing a four-game ban, but he earned a one-game reprieve as a result of a negotiated settlement between the league and the NFL Players Association.
Despite the reduced punishment, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said in a statement that the team was “disappointed” in the actions of Bell, who was suspended for the first two games in 2015 as a result of a marijuana-related arrest during training camp in 2014.
“We will continue to support Le’Veon, but we acknowledge this mistake has put the team in an unfortunate position,” Colbert said. “We will continue to work with Le’Veon to help him eliminate distractions in his life so he can reach his full potential as a member of our community as well as a player for the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
Bell, who remains eligible to practice and play with the team through the remainder of the preseason, is the second marquee player for Pittsburgh to face disciplinary action by the league. Wide receiver Martavis Bryant was suspended for the entire season for repeated violations of the drug policy.
A second-round draft pick out of Michigan State in 2013, Bell, 24, had a breakout campaign in his second season. He set a team record for combined rushing and receiving yards with 2,215, rushing for 1,361 yards and catching 83 passes while scoring a combined 11 touchdowns.
Bell was limited to six games in 2015 by the suspension and a season-ending knee injury, but backup DeAngelo Williams, 33, provided solid production in his place.
Williams, who will slide into a starting role again in Bell’s absence, rushed for 907 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. Third-year back Fitzgerald Toussaint is expected to back up Williams while Bell is sidelined.
