2017 NFL Power Rankings: Where do Los Angeles Rams stand heading into Week 1 preseason?

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

Only time will tell when it comes to whether Le’Veon Bell will eventually end his holdout with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but based off the last few weeks, it’s not looking good for the running back. For a player who continues to prove to being just dominant of a receiver as a runner, it’s easy to understand why Bell is feeling plenty of frustration towards the organization.

Last year’s AFC Championship loss to the New England Patriots is the perfect example of how much Pittsburgh’s offense can struggle when they’re forced to adjust to playing without Bell in the lineup, and it would be a shame to see that happen again. Bell has every reason in the world to feel disrespected by the Steelers wanting him to play under the franchise tag, but hopefully the two parties can resolve this distraction sooner rather than later.

Then again, at least Bell’s absence doesn’t takeaway from the fact that Pittsburgh still has another player who ranks near the top of the league in offense with Antonio Brown, who did in fact receive an extension from the team during the offseason. Just like his teammate, Brown can be impossible to contain at times due to his blazing speed, and at least the Steelers were able to lock him up for the long run to avoid a situation like Bell’s with the wideout.