Save for a Tweet here or Instagram post there, Le'Veon Bell hasn't been seen or heard from by anyone in Pittsburgh since the end of last season.
But the All-Pro running back has been in communication with Maurice Jones-Drew, the NFL Network analyst and former Jacksonville Jaguars star. Bell and Jones-Drew not only play the same position, they share the same agent, Adisa Bakari.
According to Jones-Drew, nothing has changed between the Steelers and Bell, who will sit out his second straight game on Sunday after declining again to sign his $14.5 million franchise tag.
But judging by his Twitter timeline, Bell has been keeping tabs on James Conner and the Steelers from afar. He tweeted after last week's season-opening 21-21 tie in Cleveland, raising the ire of some teammates.
But Bell told Jones-Drew that his holdout is strictly business and nothing personal to him.
“(Bell) said to me, ‘People think that I don’t like Pittsburgh, I don’t like James Conner, I don’t like these guys,'” Jones-Drew relayed. “He was like, ‘Yes, I was disappointed they went out and spoke about my contract,’ understandably so. He was like, ‘But I still want them to do well, they’re still guys that I work with and guys that I’ve put in this extra work with — blood, sweat and tears like I still want them to do well.'”
Bell's concern with returning seems to be about how much he might be used. He led the NFL with 406 touches last season and is worried that he might be overused and expose himself to a greater chance of injury before he can reach free agency. Conner had 36 touches last week in his first NFL start.
“(Bell) was happy for James Conner after that performance, but that performance justifies why he’s not there right now,” Jones-Drew said . “If you’re going to give James Conner 31 carries, imagine how many you’d give to Le’Veon Bell?”
Bell will forfeit another $855,000 this week while he sits out and tries to keep healthy until he can reach free agency next March. Bell can sit out until Week 10 before signing his tender and still receive credit for playing the season.