Bell, Tomlin stay mostly mum on suspension

LATROBE, Pa. -- Le'Veon Bell, Mike Tomlin and the Steelers as a whole had precious little to say about their star running back's pending four-game NFL suspension for substance abuse, even when they stepped up to speak about it.

Bell opened his press conference, an impromptu session at Saint Vincent College's Saint Benedict Hall that was announced minutes before it began at 5:30 p.m., with a brief statement essentially explaining to reporters that he wouldn't take questions on anything other than football.

"First and foremost, I'd like to apologize to Steelers Nation, all the fans, players, coaches, for being a distraction for this whole situation," Bell said in that statement. "As you know, I don't obviously want to be a distraction, but this whole situation, the appeal, will run its course, and we'll let everything handle itself. I'm not going to speak, really, much after this. If at all."



"Anything I say would be speculation, and you guys know I'm not into speculation," Tomlin told reporters. “I don’t have anything of significance to add to his circumstance or situation. He’s in the appeal process, so me adding anything to it isn’t going to help the matter in anyway whatsoever. I’ll simply let that process play itself out then make any necessary comments regarding his circumstances and how it might affect us.”

Bell did answer, when asked, that he expects the appeal process to be completed "by mid-August." He also acknowledged that it was "frustrating" that word of the pending suspension leaked before he had a chance to appeal. In the NFL, such processes almost always stay private until there's a firm resolution.

Bell stood before reporters with heavy bandaging on his surgically repaired right knee. When I asked if he felt he'd be ready to start the season, should his appeal succeed, he responded emphatically, "I feel like I could play a game tomorrow."

Here's the complete Bell video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENgve1n0eBc