Browns Won't Have To Face Le'Veon Bell This Weekend: Reports

CLEVELAND — Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell will not return this weekend to face the Cleveland Browns, according to reports. Instead, Bell's contract holdout will continue for at least another week.

Speculation ran rampant that Bell would return this Sunday at Heinz Field. However, he isn't required to sign his franchise tag until Week 10 of the season (roughly November 18). Bell is hoping to get a more long-term, lucrative contract and has not reported to his team.

That's good news for a struggling Browns team that could use any advantage it can get when playing its rival. Sadly, Bell's replacement, James Conner, has been a revelation. He has rushed for 453 yards and seven touchdowns in the Steelers' first six games.

After yet another overtime loss this season — this time to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — the pressure on the Browns to win more games is mounting. The Browns dropped to 2-4-1 after the defeat.

Despite already winning more games than the franchise managed in the past two years, fans want to see more progress. For some, that has meant calling for the firing of head coach Hue Jackson.

In a contentious and occasionally strange post-game press conference on Sunday, Jackson suggested he may strip offensive coordinator Todd Haley of play calling duties, and emphasized repeatedly that he is the head coach of the Browns.

"It's not going to be about butting heads," Jackson said. "I'm the head coach of the football team. I will do what I feel I need to do to get this team where it needs to be."

A win over Pittsburgh would go a long way to easing tensions among team leaders. At least they won't have to deal with Bell, right?

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(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images