This offseason, besides Cousins' fully guaranteed contract, Smith's trade to the Washington Redskins, and the Packers' renewal talks with Rodgers, what insiders watched most closely was Bell's contract situation.
Without a doubt, Bell was the best and most consistent running back since Peterson.
It wasn't just the stats—you had to face him on the field to truly feel the dominance this young back exerted.
In the 2017 season, both Todd Gurley of the Rams and Lance of the Kansas City Chiefs showcased top-tier dominance. With the Chiefs, a team whose starting quarterback wasn't even the offensive core, winning the Super Bowl, the role of running backs suddenly gained new weight.
Perhaps, running backs had more potential impact than anyone previously imagined.
So—could a running back earn a top-tier salary?
As of the 2018 offseason, quarterback salaries were nearing $30 million a year. Even someone like Cousins, not considered top-tier, had secured a $28 million annual salary. What about running backs?
Two elite backs were up for extension this offseason.
One was Gurley, who eventually signed a 4-year, $60 million contract with $45 million guaranteed—making him the highest-paid running back in history with a $15 million annual average.
Gurley's contract carried historic significance:
It surpassed Peterson's 7-year, $96 million deal with the Vikings.
Its $45 million in guarantees exceeded Peterson's $36 million.
Gurley became the only RB earning over $10 million annually—the second-highest being Devonta Freeman at $8.8 million.
Still, Gurley's deal only ranked 43rd in the NFL overall in terms of average annual salary—highlighting the wage disparity with quarterbacks.
Nevertheless, Gurley had broken through and earned a significant deal for running backs.
The other was Pittsburgh's Le'Veon Bell.
The league was watching and hoping. If Gurley got this, maybe Bell could raise the ceiling further.
The Steelers placed the exclusive franchise tag on Bell for the second consecutive year.
"Exclusive" meant Bell couldn't negotiate with other teams—cutting off any chance to leverage outside offers. Yet the Steelers still refused to offer a better long-term deal.
According to the rules, an exclusive franchise tag guarantees a salary no less than the average of the top five salaries at the position or 120% of the previous year's salary—whichever is greater.
That set Bell's tag salary at $14.5 million.
Sure, negotiations continued, and Bell refused to sign the tag, but the standoff persisted.
Then came the start of voluntary training camp.
The Steelers issued a calm PR statement: Don't worry, talks are ongoing. Bell's still our guy. We're confident things will work out.
But was that really true?
Inside the league, whispers ran rampant.
Even Donald Yu called Lance to talk specifically about this.
Donald supported Bell—and hoped Lance would push for record-breaking contracts too. Elite RBs couldn't break systemic bias alone; they needed solidarity. They were allies watching each other's backs.
Still, Donald had to protect Lance—just a second-year player, still too green. If he got caught in this storm, he might be labeled a troublemaker by GMs and owners. That could complicate his future.
So they had to walk a fine line. Donald trusted Lance's wisdom, but mutual understanding was still needed.
Meanwhile, Hunt was also getting restless.
He never liked Lance, so it took a lot to lower his guard and bring up the topic.
Honestly, Lance wanted to tease him, but he held back—this wasn't the time for jokes.
"I support him," Lance said plainly.
Hunt gave Lance a quick look, a little surprised, then turned away. "Would you say that publicly?"
Regardless of their personal feelings, Lance—Super Bowl MVP and last season's top RB—had undeniable influence. So Hunt swallowed his frustration and kept asking.
Lance nodded. "Of course."
Now was the time to step up.
But that wasn't all. "At the same time, we need to stay focused on training. You know we're only in our second year. We still don't have real influence."
Even for second-year quarterbacks, that remained true.
"The best support we can give is proving our worth on the field. If more great RBs emerge and become game-changers, the spotlight will shift. Then our voices will be heard."
"Instead of hoping team owners abandon profit and take the first step, we focus on ourselves. Trust ourselves. Change the game with our own strength…"
And then ride the wave of public opinion.
Yes, it's a business-driven league. But it's also sports—and nothing a championship can't fix.
If one isn't enough? Win two.
The more victories, the louder the voice. Fans, media, analysts, and the league itself will start to listen, and real change could follow.
Hunt wasn't having it. He cut in, "Naive."
"You think it's that easy? Just 'change the outcome' and that's it? Even if we change games, the media credits the QB. Owners won't see our work."
"We still need a leader. Gurley took the first step. Bell's next."
"If Bell can take that next step, our voices will finally be heard."
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