Even though he’s currently in the final year of his rookie contract, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell expects to be back in 2017 with the team that drafted him.
“No,” Bell said Wednesday, when asked if there’s any doubt in his mind if he’ll be back in Pittsburgh next season. “Obviously I want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler so obviously were going to try do whatever it takes to make it happen.”
As things stand right now, Bell is likely to get the franchise tag from the Steelers during the offseason if the two sides can’t come to an agreement on a new contract prior to the start of free agency. That franchise tag amount for running backs is expected to be around $12.4 million.
Should Bell ultimately receive the franchise tag, he’ll more than likely sign it very quickly and from that point forward the two sides can begin working on a possible long-term extension. Regardless, he’ll be back in Pittsburgh in 2017.
Bell, who was voted the Steelers team MVP on Wednesday by the players, was asked to describe his running style on Wednesday.
“I wouldn’t know necessarily how to describe the way I run. I really can’t even explain it to people,” Bell said. “It’s kind of like I feel it. It’s like certain times where I feel more patient than other times. I guess it really depends on how the defense is playing me because it can vary from week to week.”
Bell, who suffered a serious knee injury last season, enters the final week of the regular season third overall in total yards from scrimmage despite missing the first three games due to a suspension. He was voted a Pro Bowler for a second time last week and will soon play in his first NFL playoff game.
“It’s going to be amazing,” Bell said when asked what it will be like for him to finally play in a postseason game. “It’s obviously something that I’ve been wanting to do the last four years. I’m glad that this year I’ll actually be able to. It’s something that I look forward to.
“The last couple of years I’ve been injured going into the playoffs and haven’t been there for the team so I think this year it’s a great opportunity for me and my teammates to go into the playoffs with a lot of us being healthy. Hopefully all of us can get healthy and we get in there and make a run.”
