Report: Le'Veon Bell Not Expected to Report to Steelers During Week 7 Bye Week

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell has been away from the team all season, and that will reportedly not change during the Week 7 bye week.

According to Judy Battista of NFL.com, the Steelers are not expecting him to return this week.

Players had meetings Monday, but Bell did not show up to the team facility, according to Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL Network.

The running back is in the midst of a contract dispute after being franchise-tagged for the second year in a row, but Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reported he was expected to return during the bye week so he can play for the first time in Week 8.

Unfortunately, he's still had no contact with the team, per ESPN.com's Adam Schefter, and his official return remains a mystery.

The Steelers have been a inconsistent without him as they enter their bye with a 3-2-1 record, although running back has certainly not been the problem. James Conner has taken over the starting job and flourished with 710 yards from scrimmage and seven total touchdowns.

His 5.5 yards per touch are better than Bell's 4.8 from last season, when he was named first-team All-Pro.

Evan Silva of Rotoworld suggested the team will stick with Conner regardless:

Even Bell gave props to his replacement Sunday during a second straight two-touchdown performance:

The Steelers will face the Cleveland Browns after the bye in Week 8 with or without Bell.