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For those who are shocked by why Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell is suspended for two more games than former teammate LeGarrette Blount, who was involved in the incident that resulted in the suspensions, those same people are clearly unaware of the NFL’s new policy for dealing with offenses.
Bell and Blount were cited for possession of marijuana after being pulled over by Ross Township Police in Pittsburgh on Aug. 20, 2014. Since Bell was driving the vehicle at the time police stopped them, he also got a ticket for driving under the influence.
Bell will receive a three-game suspension and the loss of an additional game check in 2015 for being a first-time DUI offender (two games) and a marijuana charge (one game). Since Blount was not driving under the influence during the run-in with police, he only gets a one-game suspension stemming from the marijuana charge.
Considering Bell rushed for 1,361 yards (second in the NFL behind only DeMarco Murray) and eight touchdowns, there is no question his three-game suspension will be detrimental to what the Steelers will attempt to accomplish in 2015. To take a player who made up 32.8 percent of the team’s yards from scrimmage and remove him from nearly a quarter of the season clearly has the potential to have a huge impact on the seasonal outcome of that team.
The good news for Pittsburgh is they inked a deal with running back DeAngelo Williams in the offseason to add depth at the position, especially if the current situation with Bell’s suspension came to fruition. That means the Steelers knew exactly what they were doing when they signed Williams, which could be the acquisition that keeps them in the hunt for a postseason berth in Bell’s absence.
Michael Terrill is a Senior Writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelTerrill, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
