Steelers GM Kevin Colbert: We Have Strong Desire To Keep Le’Veon Bell In PIT For Remainder Of His Career

Steelers GM Kevin Colbert told reporters on Thursday that they’re hoping to keep RB Le’Veon Bell in Pittsburgh for the remainder of his career.

“We have a strong desire to keep you with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the remainder of your career,” Colbert said, per Aditi Kinkhabwala.

Colbert admitted that the franchise tag always an option before adding: “[O]ur goal is to have something done on a long-term basis.”

Colbert also explained that even if the franchise Bell for the second straight year, it doesn’t mean they won’t work a long-term extension in the coming months.

“Even if you tag a player, you can still sign him… It takes two sides to get it done,” Colbert said, per Kinkhabwala.

As for contract negotiations, Colbert says they’re really starting over: “You start over really. Our situation is different this year.”

A few weeks ago, Bell told TMZ Sports that he’s “tired” of trying to get a long-term agreement in place.

“I just wanna get a deal done,” Bell said. “I’m tired of having to deal with this every year.“

Last year, reports said that Bell actually turned down an offer from the Steelers that would have paid him $30 million over the first two years of the agreement. Bell instead opted to play out the year under the franchise tag.

“I don’t think it affected me the way that I played because I wasn’t necessarily thinking, ‘I don’t want to get hurt, I don’t want to get hurt,‘” Bell said. “I was just kind of playing physical. I knew after this year that they have to put me up front. I felt that kind of inspired me. I always want to find something to get you to play with a chip on your shoulder. Never [be] satisfied with where you’re playing. I always try to find something to motivate me to be a better player.”

Bell told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN that Pittsburgh has set an artificial deadline of Feb. 20 to negotiate a long-term extension, which happens to be the first day for teams to begin using franchise tags on players.

Before that, Bell said that the Steelers have already presented him with extension offer and they are “a lot closer” now than they were last year.

“We are a lot closer than we were last year,” Bell said, via ESPN. “I’m happy and the Steelers are happy right now where we’re at. Obviously we have to continue to get it done.”

Bell added he wants to prevent his contract situation from being a distraction again this year.

“I want to make sure everything is good,” Bell said. “I’m not trying to play the same episode again. We need something new. … Make everybody happy so everybody can come into the season and we don’t have no distractions.”

The 2018 franchise tag should run Pittsburgh close to $14.5 million fully guaranteed.

Bell, 25, is a former second-round pick of the Steelers back in 2013. He played out the final year of his four-year, $4,120,600 rookie contract that included a $1,376,800 signing bonus and was in position to be one of the best players in the free agent market when he was franchised.

Bell will make around $12.3 million fully guaranteed for the 2017 season under the tag and be an unrestricted free agent again in the coming months.

In 2017, Bell has appeared in 15 games for the Steelers and rushed for 1, 291yards on 321 carries (4 YPC) to go along with 85 receptions for 655 yards receiving and 11 total touchdowns. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 9 running back out of 58 qualifying players.

We have him featured in our Top 100  – 2018 NFL Free Agents list.