The Steelers aren’t ruling out pissing off Le’Veon Bell with the franchise tag

Le’Veon Bell has made it clear he doesn’t want the franchise tag again, but the Steelers may not have much of a choice.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell is scheduled to become a free agent on March 14, but the team will likely do what it takes to make sure he’s still in Pittsburgh for 2018 and beyond.

Bell, who turns 26 on Sunday, has a strong argument as the best running back in the NFL. In 2017, he finished with 1,291 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. He also contributed 85 receptions with 655 receiving yards. It was enough to earn Bell a spot as a first-team All-Pro.

The Steelers don’t want to lose him, but the way the team keeps Bell in Pittsburgh could make the running back angry. The Steelers used the franchise tag on Bell last year and may have no choice but to go that route again.

How we got here

Bell burst onto the scene in his second season in the NFL with an All-Pro campaign in 2014 that included 1,361 rushing yards and 854 receiving yards. The only other player in NFL history to top 1,300 rushing yards and 850 receiving yards in a single season is Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk, who did it twice.

Because of his versatility, Bell told reporters in 2017 — when his rookie contract expired — that he deserved a contract that paid him like the Steelers’ No. 1 running back AND No. 2 wide receiver.

He also said in a rap lyric “Imma need 15 a year and they know this,” seemingly asking for $15 million per year from the Steelers. He later pushed that number to $17 million in another rap in August. That would shatter records at the position, with Devonta Freeman’s $8.25 million per year currently setting the standard at running back.

When he received the franchise tag, Bell expressed his discontent by sitting out for all offseason activities, training camp and preseason.

Last year, the franchise tag paid Bell $12.12 million for a one-year deal. Using it again would mean he’d get 120 percent of his 2017 salary, so Bell would get $14.544 million in 2018.

While that’s a large amount and close to the $15 million per year he once alluded to, it still isn’t the long-term security that Bell is aiming for.

What the Steelers have said

The problem for the Steelers is trying to find a middle ground and not overpaying. Last summer, the team reportedly came close to an agreement with Bell on a five-year deal that would’ve averaged about $12 million.

Giving Bell the franchise tag again isn’t ideal, but it could be the team’s only choice to keep the running back from leaving in free agency if a long-term deal isn’t close to finished:

Like general manager Kevin Colbert said, the franchise tag doesn’t necessarily mean Bell will play on a one-year, $14.544 million deal. A contract could still get negotiated, and the Steelers GM is confident it will get done at some point during the 2018 offseason.

“I believe I am [confident]. ... I think with both sides wanting to get something done. ... I think that certainly aids your ability to get that done,” Colbert said Thursday, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“We met with Le’Veon before he left [after the 2017 season] and said, ‘Look, we have a strong desire to keep you with the Pittsburgh Steelers the remainder of your career.’”

What Bell has said

The running back has mostly been quiet since the 2017 season ended, but he made waves in January when he told an ESPN reporter he “would definitely consider” retiring at age 26 if he received the franchise tag again.

That’s a bold statement, but Bell said he wanted to set standards for how running backs should be paid even if that meant walking away from football.

A couple of weeks later, he tweeted that $60 million isn’t enough to play for the New York Jets when a fan asked if he’d sign with the team in free agency. A day later he said it’d need to be closer to $95 million:

What Bell thinks of the Jets doesn’t matter much, but it does show that he’s clearly aiming for a lot of money. That may mean the franchise tag is the only way the Steelers prevent the running back from testing the price of his services on the open market.

What’s next

Beginning Feb. 20, teams will be able to place the franchise tag on players. That likely won’t matter much for Bell as the Steelers will probably spend most of the tag window trying to nail down a long-term deal with the running back.

The deadline for the franchise tag is March 6 at 4 p.m. ET. If the Steelers don’t feel comfortable about their chances at a deal by then, that’s the day he would likely get the tag.

If he doesn’t get tagged, Bell would be scheduled to become a free agent at 4 p.m. on March 14. If he does get the tag, the Steelers would have until 4 p.m. on July 16 to reach a multiyear contract extension with Bell before he’s forced to play 2018 on a one-year deal.

With no deal in place, it’s safe to assume Bell would hold out from practices and training camp again. If he’s forced to play on a one-year deal, it’s definitely possible that he’d be willing to miss regular-season games.

Things won’t be easy for the Steelers, who have less than $10 million in cap space. Pittsburgh would need to crunch some numbers and release some veterans — safety Mike Mitchell is one possibility — to make room.

The probable outcome is that Bell and the Steelers eventually agree to a long-term deal that resets the running back market. However, it may still be a rocky road to that contract.