Apr 9, 2015 3 min read

The shoe finally dropped for Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell. The NFL announced Thursday he would be suspended for the first three games of the 2015 regular season without pay for his citation for driving under the influence and marijuana possession last August.

Bell, who led the AFC in rushing and total yards from scrimmage last season, his second in the NFL, also will be fined a fourth game check, bringing his total lost wages to $194,900. Bell is scheduled to earn a base salary of $779,600 this season.

According to a source, Bell is appealing the ruling.

The suspension was the result of a traffic stop Aug. 20 on McKnight Road in which Bell and former Steelers running back LeGarrette Blount were charged with possession of marijuana. Bell was driving the pair to the airport to meet the team plane for a preseason game at Philadelphia and also was charged with DUI as a result of the stop. He pleaded no-contest to both charges and received 15 months of probation and was entered into a diversion program that will allow the charges to be removed from his record if he stays out of trouble.

Earlier in the week, Blount, who was released by the Steelers in November, received a one-game suspension for his involvement in the incident. He now plays for the New England Patriots.

With Bell, 23, facing a mandatory suspension under the NFL’s personal conduct policy, the Steelers signed veteran running back DeAngelo Williams in the offseason. Williams, 31, is Carolina’s all-time leader in yards rushing with 6,846 and career rushing touchdowns with 46.

Since selecting Bell in the second round of the 2013 draft, the Steelers are 19-10 when he plays, 0-4 when he does not.

Bell played in all 16 regular season games in 2014 and set team records for yards from scrimmage (2,215) and receptions and receiving yards by a running back (83-854) as he and teammate Antonio Brown shared the AFC offensive player of the year award.

But he missed the team’s 30-17 season-ending playoff loss to Baltimore with a knee injury suffered in a Week 17 win over Cincinnati.

The Steelers announced their full list of opponents for their preseason schedule. In addition to playing the Minnesota Vikings in the Hall of Fame Game Aug. 9 in Canton, Ohio, the Steelers will play at Jacksonville the following week, host Green Bay, travel to Buffalo and finish off their five-game preseason at home against Carolina. The dates and times for the final four preseason games will not be announced until a later time. … The Steelers began their pre-draft visits with college prospects Wednesday with linebackers Eli Harold of Virginia and Nate Orchard of Utah, cornerback Senquez Golson of Ole Miss and tight end C.J. Uzomah visiting. Thursday, cornerbacks Marcus Peters of Washington and Alex Carter of Stanford and outside linebacker Max Valles visited.