Le'Veon Bell's message ahead of Sunday's AFC Divisional Round tilt versus the Jacksonville Jaguars is simple: Carpe Diem.
With Bell, Antonio Brown and Ben Roethlisberger all expected to be relatively healthy to open the Steelers' playoff run, the tailback knows Pittsburgh must take advantage of the Killer Bs while they're all still on the field together.
"We understand we have a great group here," Bell said, via ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "We don't know if everybody is going to be back or if we're going to be that special next year. The time that we do have, we have to make it all count. Everybody in this locker room understands that, so we have to go out there and do it."
Brown is expected to be healthy after missing the final weeks of the regular season with a calf injury. The All-Pro receiver's return means the Steelers are healthier than when they bowed out of the playoffs last year with Bell standing on the sideline with a groin injury in a loss to the New England Patriots.
Bell's sense of urgency this postseason makes sense. The running back played this year on a $12.1 million franchise tag and is headed toward free agency. Roethlisberger, meanwhile, said this week he wasn't considering Sunday his final game at Heinz Field, but no one would be shocked if the 35-year-old walked away after verbally contemplating retirement last offseason.
With the future of two of the three Killer Bs in limbo, Pittsburgh must strike while the trio remains in their prime. Bell and Brown combined for 3,479 scrimmage yards this season with 20 touchdowns (despite missing a combined three games). Brown led all wideouts in receiving yards, despite getting injured in December. Bell would have likely led the league in rushing had he not sat out the season finale to rest. Big Ben was second in the NFL in passing yards per game at 283.4, totaling 4,251 for the season.
The Killer Bs are as dominant a threesome as there is in the NFL right now. Bell understands if they never hoist a Super Bowl trophy together, the superlatives ring hollow.
