PITTSBURGH -- No one wanted it to come to this.
Not Le'Veon Bell, who, money aside, wanted to retire a Pittsburgh Steeler.
Not the Steelers, who offered Bell a $70 million extension this offseason, though without the guarantees to Bell's liking.
And certainly not Pittsburgh fans who cheered Bell's prolific play for five seasons.
But Bell's lost season -- finalized Tuesday when he didn't show by the 4 p.m. deadline to sign his franchise tag -- was a byproduct of two stubborn sides that weren't meant to negotiate.
Bell was willing to forfeit $14.