Le’Veon Bell took aim at the Steelers on Thursday, saying the team does not pay its Black stars the same way it pays its White ones after Pittsburgh moved on from Joey Porter Jr.
Bell, who was once the league’s top running back during his Steelers run alongside Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown, has long been tied to contract drama in Pittsburgh. His own time with the team ended after he sat out an entire season in a deal dispute, and he never quite got back to the all-world form he showed in black and yellow.
This latest round of Steelers tension centered on Porter, who did not play a down for Pittsburgh this season while the two sides worked through what was described by him and the team as a back injury. The issue had been widely viewed as a way for Porter to sit out, and on Wednesday the matter was resolved when the Steelers sent him to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-rounder.
Bell reacted the next day with a post on X that accused Pittsburgh of treating its Black draft picks differently from its White ones.
“I wish pittsburgh paid their black superstars they drafted just like they pay their white ones they draft .. hate to see porter get traded .. I thought same thing with (George Pickens)? TJ Watt is worth every penny tho, so let’s not get it confused .. but something needs to change,” Bell posted on X.
I wish pittsburgh paid their black superstars they drafted just like they pay their white ones they draft .. hate to see porter get traded .. I thought same thing with pickens? TJ Watt is worth every penny tho, so let’s not get it confused .. but something needs to change
- Le’Veon Bell (@LeVeonBell) October 1, 2026
Bell may have overlooked the fact that Pittsburgh recently extended Cam Heyward, a veteran the franchise drafted, and also gave lucrative extensions to defensive back Jalen Ramsey and wide receiver DK Metcalf after acquiring both in trades. All three players are Black.
The Steelers have moved on from both Porter and Pickens, sending each to Dallas. Whether that proves to be the right call will play out over time, but race was almost certainly not behind either decision.
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Steelers Finally Moved On From Joey Porter Jr For A Reason
Joey Porter Jr. is officially on the move, and the Steelers turned the page by dealing the cornerback to the Cowboys for a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth-rounder. For Pittsburgh, it was a striking end to a run that never really got back on track once Porter was sidelined in 2026, when a back injury and conditioning issues kept him out of game action all season.
Dallas is taking a measured approach with the former Steeler, and there is no immediate plan to extend his contract before seeing how he performs in a new setting. For Pittsburgh, the trade brings back future draft capital and closes the book on a player whose recent absence had become as much a part of the story as his talent. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Coach Just Added Fuel To Steelers' Latest AFC North Grudge Match
Todd Monken has been around the AFC North long enough to know how quickly a passing comment can sharpen a rivalry, and his latest one did exactly that. The Browns head coach, who has seen the Steelers from both Cleveland and Baltimore, took a shot at Pittsburghs veteran defensive core by suggesting it might be time for players like T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward to retire, a remark that lands with extra weight given how many bruising games those names have already created in this division.
For the Steelers, it is the kind of chatter that usually gets remembered long after the pregame noise fades. Watt and Heyward have been central figures in Pittsburghs identity for years, and Monkens familiarity with them only adds another layer to what is already set up as another hard-edged meeting between the Browns and Steelers, with the usual AFC North tension waiting for the first hit to bring it to the surface. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Backfield Issue Puts Thursday Night Focus On One Familiar Name
The Steelers backfield picture got thinner again heading into Thursday night, with Rico Dowdle ruled out for the Week 4 game against the Browns because of a toe injury. Dowdle had already missed practice during the buildup to the matchup, and now he will sit out for a second straight game, leaving Pittsburgh to sort through its options without one of the backs it had been counting on.
That puts the spotlight back on Jaylen Warren, the veteran who is expected to handle most of the workload against Cleveland. For a Steelers offense trying to stay on schedule in a divisional game, Warrens role only grows more important with Dowdle unavailable, and the way Pittsburgh manages the rest of the backfield will be one of the quieter storylines to watch once the lights come on. [Read more 🡒]