Mike Tomlin on New Le'Veon Bell Contract: 'I'm Excited and Hopeful'

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is hopeful the team and star running back Le'Veon Bell can come to terms on a new contract shortly, suggesting there could be news on that front as soon as Monday.

"Obviously, we want to get the deal done," he told Bruce Rader of WAVY. "He wants to get the deal done. Everybody has said that. Now it's just about the negotiators getting in the room and doing what it is they need to do. I'm excited and hopeful. Hopefully we'll have some exciting news Monday."

Monday does represent something of a deadline in negotiations.

As Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk wrote: "If Bell doesn't sign by Monday at 4 p.m., he'll only be able to sign a one-year contract with the Steelers this year. In that case, Bell would likely skip training camp and only report before the start of the regular season."

Bell, 26, remains one of the NFL's most dynamic offensive playmakers. Last season, he registered 1,946 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns.