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PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Steelers are expecting midfielder Veon Bell to report to the team next week, President Art Rooney II told Sirius XM Radio on Thursday.
Bell, who missed 10 weeks without signing his $ 14.5 million franchise, is due to report by Tuesday when he forgoes the 2018 season. In counting the missed weeks, he officially lost 8.52 millions of dollars in earnings.
"I do not know what his plans are, but I would say that at this point, we expect him to come back next week," Rooney said. "We know he's back in Pittsburgh, so we hope to have some communications with him this weekend, and we expect him to come back next week."
Bell returned to town this week and an L.A. Fitness manager in north Pittsburgh confirmed to ESPN that Bell played basketball on Tuesday night.
The Steelers front office remained relatively silent in the absence of Bell. Coach Mike Tomlin said he preferred to discuss players who are with the team. But history has become inevitable since Bell has outlasted any NFL player with a franchise label.
The Steelers are not expected to sell their label to Bell because of the price tag of more than $ 20 million associated with a third label, which leaves them two options after the season: place them in the box. transition label on him, or let him enter free agency to get a compensatory compensation project for his departure.
The Steelers could try to prorate a transition label if Bell plays games this year, and if it stays in place year-round, that label will be 120% of its last salary, 14, $ 5 million (based on $ 12.1 million 2017).
"We are in unfamiliar territory, in terms of, this has never really happened before, as far as I know," Rooney said. "So there are some questions we may have at the end of the season, and we'll cross those bridges when we get there at the end of the season."
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When Bell reports, the Steelers may exercise a two-week training list exemption with the option of withholding their salary during that period if Bell is not fit.
On Wednesday night, Bell posted two messages on his Twitter account in the form of text backwards, stating in particular that he "did not apologize" for maintaining it.
"Almost everyone has an opinion about my life and is worried about what I'm doing," Bell wrote. "… Do not judge me out of my decisions because maybe it's not what you would do … but most people do not take the time to simply read between the lines. .. & c. is clear on them … I do not apologize for what I think is good for myself, my family and the rest of my peers, point … also if you really find the time to understand what I'm saying, you've proven what I meant. "
In the absence of Bell, in the process of execution James Conner totaled 1,085 yards and 10 touchdowns in the first eight games of the team.
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