Le'Veon Bell Rumors: Latest Buzz on Possible New Contract as Free Agency Begins

With the franchise tag applied, the question now is simple—how do the Pittsburgh Steelers and running back Le'Veon Bell come to an agreement on a new deal? 

Bell, understandably, wants to be paid like one of the NFL's top players. And this latest franchise tag from the Steelers will guarantee him a cool $14.5 million over one season. 

But has that number become the spot the 26-year-old won't budge from in negotiations? 

Based on a report from Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, that could be where negotiations between the two parties are headed: "The Steelers have increased last year's long-term contract offer but Bell has adjusted his contractual floor to $14.5 million per year to align with his running back tag. He won't play for a contract that averages less annually, he said."

Sounds harsh on Bell's end, but this is a bit of an improvement—he had told Fowler in January he would sit out a season, if not consider retirement if hit with another franchise tag. 

"Just get the numbers straight, exactly where we want them," Bell said in January, per Fowler. "I'm not going to settle for anything. I know what I do and what I bring to the table. I'm not going out here getting the ball 400 times if I'm not getting what I feel I'm valued at."

Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

Bell also confirmed he turned down a $42 million offer last year with an average of $13.3 million, so while his production has remained the same, the price the Steelers potentially have to pay has gone way up. 

And it's hard to disagree with some of the things working in Bell's favor. He's averaged 4.3 yards per carry over five seasons, scoring 35 touchdowns in the process and adding seven more as a receiver. Three 1,000-yard seasons and seven or more rushing scores in four out of five years is worth something financially.

It goes a bit further, too. No player in the NFL can do what Bell does from the line of scrimmage, as he's a threat to move all over the field and functions as a three-down back.

The evolution of backfield committees in recent years has meant sometimes paying as many as three guys to rotate in and out while serving different functions, whereas Bell isn't wrong in thinking he does the work of multiple players. 

Currently, Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman has the highest contract in the NFL among running backs, sitting on a deal worth about $41 million that averages $8.25 per year, per Spotrac. But he has only attempted north of 200 carries twice over four years and hasn't come close to the 321 Bell had a year ago.

The Steelers man has also had 94 or more targets three times, whereas Freeman has hit above 65 just once. 

Bell is in a situation where he's a rare talent and undertaking more usage and productivity than most. It might behoove him to take more of an incentive-based deal tying his playing time to dollars and his individual almost-guaranteed accomplishments like Pro Bowls to even more cash. 

But if it were that simple, Bell and the Steelers would have already worked something out. At the least, the team doesn't have to worry about him sitting games out after he misses the summer and preseason. 

"Honestly, no, I'm not going to sit out," Bell said during an Instagram chat with fans, according to Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "I'm going to be in the facility Week 1. It's going to be a rerun of last year. I'm not going to (training) camp. I'm not doing nothing else extra, OTAs, none of that."

It will be interesting to see how this one plays out, though Bell seems to have plenty of leverage. Like Kirk Cousins showed, the tag price will only keep going up by the year and the Steelers have to start thinking about Bell as a transitional talent considering Ben Roethlisberger is 36 and his future in the game could dramatically reshape the organization. 

While free agency wages in the forefront, this staring contest between Bell and the Steelers will keep raging in the background.