Steelers won't punish Le'Veon Bell or LeGarrette Blount; Will play vs Panthers

Looking to get back to its 'ground and pound' roots, the Pittsburgh Steelers made it a priority this offseason to find another running back to play behind Le'Veon Bell. They did that by signing former New England Patriots running back, LeGarrette Blount, giving the team a very formidable 1-2 punch.

After both players were charged with marijuana possession, in addition to Bell being charged with driving under the influence, neither will be suspended to start the season, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin also said Tuesday both running backs "absolutely" will play Thursday against the Carolina Panthers.

The Steelers drafted Bell in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he rushed 244 times for 860 yards and eight touchdowns last year.

Blount is expected to be a nice backup to Bell while also providing insurance to the Steelers in the event Bell is injured again in 2014. He missed nearly the first full month of the 2013 season after suffering a foot injury during the preseason.

For his career, Blount had rushed for 2,711 yards with 20 touchdowns and has averaged 4.7 yards per carry for his career in four NFL seasons. As a rookie, he rushed for 1,007 yards with six touchdowns for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.