Le'Veon Bell Says He'll Return to Steelers on Sept. 1

While there has been concern among fans about Le'Veon Bell's holdout, the Pittsburgh Steelers star confirmed he will be back before the start of the regular season.

When asked by a fan when he will "show up," the running back responded on his Twitter account:

Friday, Sept. 1 is the first day after the last preseason game against the Carolina Panthers set for next Thursday.

Bell has been a training camp holdout while attempting to negotiate a long-term contract extension. The Steelers have used the franchise tag on him, but the player has not yet signed the $12.1 million agreement.

According to Ed Bouchette of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the team thought it had agreed with Bell's agent to a five-year deal worth more than $12 million per season, but Bell nixed the deal right before the deadline on July 17.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported last week the running back was expected back before the start of the regular season, but it was unknown when he would officially return to the field. With Bell confirming his intention to start practicing at the beginning of September, however, the entire city of Pittsburgh can now breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Bell has established himself as one of the top playmakers in the NFL, totaling 1,884 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns last season in just 12 games. He earned his second Pro Bowl appearance in three years.

James Conner has performed well during the preseason in Bell's absence, but the Steelers will be happy to know their star is coming back soon.