Steelers' Le'Veon Bell killed 5-year, $60M deal his agent OK'd, report says

Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell killed a five-year, $60 million deal his agent agreed to with the team at the July 17 NFL deadline for players to sign long-term contracts, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Friday.

The Steelers wrapped up their training camp in Latrobe, Pa., on Friday with Bell still holding out.

According the Post-Gazette, which cited unidentified sources, the Steelers and Bell's agent felt they had come to terms on the multiyear deal that would've paid more than $30 million in its first two years. But Bell nixed the contract, and once the 4 p.m. ET deadline passed, the team was prohibited from signing Bell to a long-term deal.

Instead, he would be paid the $12.12 million for 2017 as franchise-tagged player if he signs, some $4 million more than the next-highest paid running back on a multiyear contract (the Falcons' recently signed Devonta Freeman to a deal worth $8.25 million per year).

According to Friday's report, the Steelers expect Bell to sign his franchise tag and report soon. NFL players don't forfeit pay for missing preseason games, but once the regular season starts Bell would lose more than $700,000 per each week for up to 10 weeks, at which point he no longer could play for the Steelers in 2017.

“He has not given any indication to anybody that he plans to hold out into the season,’’ Steelers president Art Rooney II told the Post-Gazette on Thursday.