The Pittsburgh Steelers have yet to sign running back Le’Veon Bell to a long-term contract extension and with the annual franchise tag deadline being Tuesday afternoon, the organization is expected to tag the All-Pro a second year in a row, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
None of this report is a bit surprising as this was the expected course of action if Bell and the Steelers couldn’t come to terms on a long-term contract prior to the March 6 franchise tag deadline.
The tag, if used again this year on Bell, will cost the Steelers $14.54 million. The running back is probably wanting a long-term contract that averages at least $15 million a season with over $25 million in fully guaranteed money.
When and if the Steelers use the franchise tag on Bell in the coming hours they will then have until the mid-July deadline to work out a long-term deal with him. In the meantime, it won’t be surprising if Bell skips the team’s annual OTA sessions like he did last year once give the franchise tag.
