Le'Veon Bell was unstoppable against the Bills, racking up nearly 300 yards of total offense and scoring three touchdowns. (0:54)

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- When Le'Veon Bell got hit with a three-game drug suspension in August -- his second such ban in as many years -- many, including myself, wondered about his free-agency value and future with the team.

Now you wonder where the Steelers would be without Bell.

Bell has used the past 10 games to re-establish himself as one of the game's premier players and extinguish his past problems with every cutback and spin move. His franchise-record 236 rushing yards Sunday at Buffalo accentuated an already stellar season that is becoming one generous mea culpa for his past off-field miscues.

Forget contract year. The 2017 free agent is having contract games. Bell is averaging an outlandish 161.6 yards per game, which over 16 games would have outdistanced Chris Johnson's NFL season record of 2,509 yards from scrimmage.

With the help of a physical offensive line, Bell can carry this team for stretches.

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Bell's getting in trouble gave the Steelers reason to ride him this season and get as much mileage as they could in a short period of time. They are doing just that, and he keeps getting stronger. Thirty to 40 touches are no problem for him.

The way this season is unfolding, it's hard to think the Steelers would be prepared to walk away from Bell, who has made clear he plans to eschew trouble. He can be franchise tagged in 2017 or signed to a long-term deal. He's 24, so the pounding he is taking -- 118 carries in his past four games and 166 touches in his past five -- is less of a concern.

Revealing after Bell's second suspension was the constant support from teammates who easily could have shunned him. Instead, they talked privately about how hard he worked and the tone he set. The situation felt very different than it did with Martavis Bryant, whose yearlong suspension drew public frustration from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Clearly, the team was ready to give Bell more slack. He's a Mike Tomlin favorite. He ingratiated himself well in the locker room. Plus, his healthy return from two torn knee ligaments has been impressive.

That isn't to say the Steelers shouldn't be watchful of Bell because of his track record. But save Big Ben, Bell is part of the Steelers' fabric as much as anyone right now. He plays physically, he's the team's second-best receiver, he doesn't get tired, and he deftly handles the nuances of the game, such as blitz pickups.

As long as Bell is by the book, he'll be chasing record books. He is now the NFL's all-time leader in scrimmage yards per game, with 128.5 (minimum 40 games).

"I don't think there's a lot of backs who can do the things I do," Bell said.

The Steelers know this, which is why they'll want Bell to keep doing his thing for years.