The Pittsburgh Steelers have now made it official: They're placing the exclusive-rights franchise tag on Le'Veon Bell for the second year in a row.
There's still optimism that a long-term deal can get done prior to the July 16 deadline, as the two sides reportedly have made progress in recent days and weeks. But short of that, Bell would have to accept a one-year tender for one year, $14.544 million.
Pair that with the one-year, $12.12 million tender on which he played last season, and Bell could earn close to $27 million in a two-year span — an unheard-of sum in this era for a running back.