Franchised Le'Veon Bell, Steelers fail to reach long-term contract for second straight year

Le'Veon Bell will be the NFL's best-paid running back in 2018 ... just not in the manner he'd hoped for.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and their two-time all-pro failed to reach a long-term deal by Monday's deadline for franchise-tagged players to do so. Bell will now play on the tag for the second consecutive season, earning more than $14.5 million as the top-compensated player at his position. 

However he failed to attain the long-term security he sought, angling for an extension that would have rewarded him like an elite receiver, according to multiple reports. Teammate Antonio Brown currently paces that market by pulling in $17 million annually, more than twice the amount of Atlanta's Devonta Freeman ($8.25 million) and Buffalo's LeSean McCoy ($8 million), who have the richest average salaries among running backs on multi-year contracts.

"Even though we could not reach a long-term contract agreement with Le'Veon Bell, we are excited he will be with the team in 2018," Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said in a statement. "We worked very hard to find common ground, but we were unable to accomplish that prior to today's deadline. Le'Veon will play this season under the franchise tag designation.

"After the 2018 season is completed, we again will attempt to work out a long-term contract with Le'Veon in the hope that he will continue his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers."

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Bell skipped Pittsburgh's offseason program and didn't report to the team until Sept. 4 last year, a tactic he's indicated he'll replicate in 2018. ESPN's Adam Schefter suggested Monday that Bell might even sit out half of the upcoming season in order to protect his body heading into free agency next year since it would cost the Steelers a prohibitive $21 million to tag him a third time. He could sign a deal after this season, but it seems highly unlikely Bell would go that route rather than test the open market.

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Bell, 26, is set to enter his sixth campaign in Pittsburgh. He led the NFL in carries (321) and touches (406) in 2017 and makes the most of his workload. His career average of 129 yards per game from scrimmage is the most of any player in league history with a minimum of 50 appearances.

His patience as a runner and ability to run routes like a veteran slot receiver distinguish Bell from his peers. However durability has  been an issue at times, and he's also been suspended twice for violating the NFL's policy on substance abuse. He's missed 18 of a possible 80 regular-season games over the course of his career.

Should Bell opt to miss more time this fall, the Steelers will likely have to use a committee to replace him. James Conner, a third-round pick last year, rushed for 144 yards as a rookie, averaging a respectable 4.5 per carry, but didn't catch a single pass. Fitzgerald Toussaint and Stevan Ridley are the only other backs on the roster who have NFL game experience.

Bell wasn't the only tagged player who failed to receive good news Monday. Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence, Lions defensive end Ziggy Ansah and Rams safety Lamarcus Joyner also failed to reach multi-year deals.

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