The Pittsburgh Steelers may be close to giving up on getting Le'Veon Bell back on the football field. They are reportedly now listening to trade offers for the running back, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Steelers now listening to trade offers for RB Le'Veon Bell, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 23, 2018
Could the San Francisco 49ers be among the teams willing to at least give Pittsburgh a call?
The 49ers signed former Minnesota Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon in March. However, he suffered a season-ending torn ACL before the start of the regular season. In his absence, Matt Breida and Alfred Morris have been carrying the load for San Francisco.
Earlier this month, general manager John Lynch discussed on KNBR the possibility of upgrading at the running back position — specifically with Bell.
"Would you love a player like the guy you're talking about? Sure," Lynch responded while being careful not to name Bell. "But we've also got to stay measured here and keep on having a big picture. We're excited to go compete with the group we have."
Bell, who played college football at Michigan State, was a second-round draft pick by the Steelers in 2013. During his five NFL seasons, he has been selected to the Pro Bowl three times (2014, 2016, 2017) and named first-team All-Pro twice (2014, 2017).
Bell has posted 1,200-or-more yards in three of the past four seasons. In 2014, he rushed for 1,361 yards on 290 carries and eight touchdowns. In 2016, Bell rushed for 1,268 yards on 261 carries and seven touchdowns. This past season saw him rush for 1,291 yards on 321 carries and nine touchdowns.
A suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy and a season-ending MCL tear shortened Bell's 2015 season to just six games.
Bell has been holding out in hopes of receiving a new contract from the Steelers.