In the NFL, players want financial security. To truly receive that security, they need a long-term contract. In regards to the Pittsburgh Steelers, they usually take care of their own in this regard. Look at the recent past and see players like Cam Heyward, Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown all receiving hefty long-term contracts to keep them happy, and in the Steel City for years to come.
Which is what makes Le’Veon Bell’s situation so precarious. The Steelers placed the franchise tag on Bell, which will pay him roughly $12 million dollars in 2017, but the hope has always been a long-term deal for the best running back in the NFL.