Tyler Matakevich had better freaking tackle Leonard Fournette this fall.
No kidding, this was my first thought upon finding out at 4 p.m. that the Steelers and Le'Veon Bell somehow couldn't figure out a bridge between a $15 million salary and a $17 million salary, leaving Le'Veon to play for $14.5 million on the franchise tag in 2018, then leaving him to become an unrestricted free agent, then leaving him to ... you know, leave.
It's all on Matakevich now. Or Jon Bostic. Or Vince Williams. Or whoever else Kevin Colbert can uncover to help at inside linebacker and best assure that this team -- this one right now, not even a year or two ahead -- will win the Super Bowl.
This is it, my friends. This is really it.
We've talked forever about this group's window and, for the most part, we've attached it to Ben Roethlisberger, to a lesser extent to Antonio Brown, to a lesser extent the offensive line. Well, scratch all that:
to all my Steeler fans, my desire always has been to retire a Steeler...both sides worked extremely hard today to make that happen, but the NFL is a hard business at times...to the fans that had hope, I’m sorry we let youu down but trust me, 2018 will be my best season to date...
— Le'Veon Bell (@LeVeonBell) July 16, 2018
Because the window was now just defined by the flakiest, flightiest of the bunch -- bear in mind, I genuinely like Bell, but the dude's all over creation from minute to minute -- and the definition is now essentially set into stone: It's 2018 or bust.
Don't kid yourself to the contrary.
Don't start downplaying Bell's worth on the field, just because you might not agree with his view of it financially. He's the NFL's No. 1 running back and, as he and his agent, Adisa Bakari, had pleaded in vain with Colbert, also their bona fide No. 2 wide receiver. That's not agent-speak. It's not even opinion. It's certifiable, statistically confirmable fact.
Don't start pretending he'll be easily replaced when he's gone just because Team X or Team Y was able to win with a random faceless running back. Because this team isn't either of those teams. Roethlisberger and his line are built, way more than most seem willing to concede, around this player and his unusual style. Any adjustment to a conventional running back would be mammoth, both for them and the playbook Todd Haley left behind.
And whatever you do, please, please don't dream up scenarios where James Conner, cancer survivor and civic hero, magically steps to the forefront with a brilliant preseason and renders the comparatively selfish, whiny, nonsense-spouting, lousy-rapping Bell moot even before he leaves.
Conner's already been a great story, but he's shown no signs of his next chapter in the NFL being anywhere near as compelling, other than the occasional 8-yard sweep. He doesn't deserve the burden of unseating Bell, from the fan base or anyone else.
Also on that note, don't start vilifying Bell. He's in his chosen profession, and we're in ours. I don't know about you, but I've always been happy to be paid what I felt was a fair market rate for what I do at the level at which I'm capable of performing. That's his only sin here, if it can be called that.
Is it selfish?
Sure it is, but what'll the perspective be if the Steelers don't like the way he runs the ball at age 30 and cut him from his non-guaranteed contract?
Will anyone call them selfish?
Similarly, there's no real cause here, at least not from what I can currently discern, to vilify Colbert, Art Rooney II and Mike Tomlin for not getting this done. I could easily argue that their best known offer -- five years, $70 million, with $30 million of that paid in the first two seasons -- already was excessive given the short shelf life of the position for ordinary running backs, never mind one who sets his value based on twice as many touches. Had Bell accepted that or other offers, the Steelers would have put their cap health at the risk of one act of Vontaze Burfict idiocy, and they'd have done so far into their future.
It's natural to feel angry about this, I think. It's human. The Steelers aren't just Pittsburgh's team but our city's brand, our city's face to the world. We hate being snubbed, maybe more than most places. I get that. I've lived it.
I'll also understand if some of Bell's teammates don't appreciate his priorities, a few of whom have already made their own long-term commitments to this team and, thus, this mission of winning a championship. Most won't be upset, as they've also been part of contract negotiations, but some will be disappointed, for sure.
All of which swings me back to Matakevich.
And tackling.
And covering.
And not being embarrassed defensively.
And taking care of business right off the bat with the Browns.
And rising up to do more than just hang tough with the Jaguars and Patriots.
And not engaging in any more garbage along the way, like the Chicago anthem fiasco or the Baltimore water-cooler pummeling or whatever random Facebook Live flap might rise up next.
And not complaining about this coach or that play call, now that enough coaches, including the promotion of Randy Fichtner to offensive coordinator, are player favorites.
And not having their head coach, while on the subject, casually condescend above any criticism, particularly as it relates to accountability.
And not having their general manager, to pick on poor Matakevich one final time, somehow convince himself that he's done nearly enough to replace Ryan Shazier. Because he hasn't. Not close.
I'll say it again: This is it.
The league's best running back will play in Pittsburgh for one more season and, if money motivates him, he should be running through bodies like a rabid pit bull. The league's best wide receiver will be here, too. One of the league's best quarterbacks of the past decade will be at the helm.
They've got one more chance. A real chance. At a seventh Super Bowl ring.
Which is a whole lot more than any of the league's other 31 teams can say right now.