Pittsburgh: Faced with the possible injury loss of star running back LeVeon Bell for Saturday’s NFL first-round play-off matchup with Baltimore, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed journeyman rusher Ben Tate on Tuesday.
Bell, the NFL’s second-leading rusher this season with 1,361 yards, suffered a right knee injury in a season-ending 27-17 triumph over Cincinnati.
Bell was hurt in the third quarter when the helmet of Cincinnati safety Reggie Nelson struck him in the knee, which was hyperextended but suffered no structural damage.
“There is pain and soreness and discomfort associated with it,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “We’re going to take it day-by-day. I met with him just moments ago and he was in the training room on the stationary bike and riding like he was training for the Tour de France.”
Instead of a yellow jersey and a long bike ride to Paris, Bell would simply settle for a chance to wear his black and gold Steelers’ jersey this weekend.
“I don’t know whether or not he’s going to be available for the game,” Tomlin said. “But we’ll leave the light on for him.”
The Steelers signed Tate, who played for both Cleveland and Minnesota this season, as a backup in case Bell is unable to face the Ravens, dropping receiver Justin Brown to make room for Tate on the roster. Tate ran for 371 yards and scored four touchdowns on 119 carries over 11 games.
“We’re going to make the right decision,” Tomlin said. “We won’t be swayed by circumstance — the magnitude of the game and so forth. If he’s healthy and able to protect himself and can be a positive contributor to our efforts, we’ll play him. If we can’t answer ‘yes’ to all of those questions and then some, we won’t. It’s just that simple.”
