Le'Veon Bell Signs Franchise Tender to Rejoin the Pittsburgh Steelers

Le'Veon Bell has finally ended his summer holdout.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have announced that Bell has signed his $12.1 million franchise tender to become the highest-paid running back in the National Football League (NFL). The team also confirmed that they have received a two-week roster exemption for their star running back. That means that they are allowed to have 54 players on their roster until Bell is activated.

Bell did not attend the Steelers' minicamp and organized team activities (OTAs) earlier this offseason, and he also didn't report for training camp because he was unhappy with his contract situation. The two-time Pro-Bowler wanted a lucrative long-term contract, but they were unable to reach an agreement before the deadline.

Interestingly, reports note Bell was the one who decided to back away from the deal at the last minute even though the Steelers were willing to give him a five-year deal that would pay him over $12 million per season. He was still going to be the highest-paid running back in the league if he accepted the offer, but he thought he was worth more than what Pittsburgh offered him.

After his first practice with the team, Bell explained that the reason he skipped the team's offseason activities because he didn't want to get hurt before the season began.

"I wanted to make sure I was fresh for the season. I didn't want to jeopardize myself and get hurt in camp. I understand I'm on a one-year deal, so I have to prepare and play football. I didn't want to get hurt in camp. In my rookie camp, I got hurt. I didn't want to deal with that. I'm going to be ready for Game 1, the games that count," Bell said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Bell also noted that he will be ready to carry the usual workload when the season starts.