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Steelers RB Bell indicates he could return at the start of September

ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 11: Le'Veon Bell #26 of the Pittsburgh Steelers gets the ball back from the official after scoring his third touchdown of the game during NFL game action against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field on December 11, 2016 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

  • Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell has hinted that he could return to the team at the beginning of September. Bell has been holding out of training camp and preseason since the two sides failed to reach a long-term deal.
  • Bell has been the highest-graded running back in the NFL for the last two seasons, with PFF overall grades of 93.9 and 91.9, respectively. In 2016, Bell’s average of 3.0 yards after contact per attempt ranked seventh among running backs with at least 68 attempts, and he ranked first among qualified running backs with a run grade of 90.9.
  • Bell has established himself as one of the best three-down backs in the NFL, producing equally impressive numbers in the passing game. In 2016, Bell’s receiving grade of 76.6 ranked 10th among qualified running backs, and his average of 1.58 yards per pass route run ranked eighth of 43 running backs with at least 25 targets.
  • Bell has been one of the most elusive running backs in football over the last three seasons, and despite missing 15 games over that time, he ranks second among running backs with 125 missed tackles forced.

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