There remains some cautious optimism regarding the Steelers and Le'Veon Bell.
With the deadline of 4 p.m. Monday approaching for the Steelers to get the franchise-tagged running back signed to a new deal, Mike Tomlin told WAVY in Hampton Roads, Va., where he was attending the annual Hampton Roads Youth Foundation Football Camp, he remains confident a deal will be completed.
"He wants to get the deal done. We want to get the deal done. Everybody has said that," Tomlin said. "Now, it's just about the negotiations, getting in a room and doing what they need to do. I'm excited and hopeful. Hopefully, we'll have some exciting news on Monday."
Bell, 26, is currently scheduled to make $14.52 million this season after the Steelers placed the franchise tag on him for the second consecutive year to keep him from becoming an unrestricted free agent.
He made $12.1 million last year under the franchise tag after turning down a five-year, $60 million contract that would have reportedly paid him $30 million in new money in the first two seasons. After that happened, Bell skipped all of training camp, choosing not to report and sign his franchise contract until the week before the team opened the regular season.
If he and the Steelers are unable to come to terms on a new deal this year, he is expected to do something similar.
"He's the type of guy who's highly conditioned over the 12-month calendar," Tomlin said. "The getting acclimated thing that some of the other guys need are less important to him."
Without a long-term deal in place this year, it would mean 2018 would likely be Bell's final season with the Steelers. The cost to place the franchise tag on him again in 2019 would jump to over $20 million, making it cost-prohibitive for the Steelers. The team could place a transition tag on him at a cost of just over $17 million, but that would only give the Steelers the right to match any offer he might receive in free agency without any compensation if they choose not to match the deal.
In five seasons with the Steelers, Bell, a former second-round draft pick, has rushed for 5,336 yards with 312 receptions for another 2,660 yards. He has scored 42 touchdowns in 62 career games.
His career average of 129 yards from scrimmage per game is the highest in NFL history.