Pittsburgh Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell seeking 2nd opinion

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell, who was forced out of the AFC Championship Game because of a groin injury, plans to get another opinion on the injury to determine whether he needs surgery.

Bell, making the rounds of Super Bowl media interviews on Wednesday, told NFL Network he is still in the process of determining whether he will need offseason surgery.

"I'm kind of in the process of seeing a couple of doctors, seeing if I have to get surgery or not," Bell said. "I'm hoping for the best, but I understand it's a tough game. If I don't get surgery, I go into the rehab process, work hard, get back to how I was last year, or actually, better. I'm going to take it from there."

The NFL is investigating whether the Steelers withheld divulging Bell's groin injury from injury reports during the playoffs.

Bell rushed just six times for 20 yards during the Steelers' 36-17 loss in the AFC title game to the New England Patriots.

After the game, Bell admitted to reporters that he managed the groin injury for "a couple weeks" and aggravated it against the Patriots.

"People don't understand I was kind of fighting that through the playoffs," Bell told NFL Network. "I really hurt it in the Miami (wild card) game. I played through the whole Kansas City (divisional) game with it. The beginning of the Patriots game, I felt it."

Bell was listed with a "not injury related" designation on consecutive Wednesdays off during the playoffs, with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin noting that the running back had an excused absence on Jan. 19.

Tomlin admitted during his season-ending news conference last week that Bell managed the injury and averted missing practice time.

Bell is set to become a free agent unless the Steelers utilize the franchise tag on him.

"Obviously, I want to play with the Steelers. I don't want to change teams and things like that," Bell said. "Hopefully we get all that settled, and hopefully they show some love because obviously I feel like I'm the best running back in the league."