The Pittsburgh Steelers previously dismissed any trade overtures for Le'Veon Bell. Now the team has decided to at least listen.
The Steelers have received a few inquiries from teams looking to trade for the franchised running back, and they have not shot those down as they once did, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
Whether listening turns to action remains to be seen.
A trade would be very complicated, but not impossible. Bell would essentially have to agree to the swap, as the Steelers would need him to sign the franchise tender before any deal can get done. Since the running back has not signed his $14.54 million tender, he's currently not under contract.
Per Rapoport, expect talks to heat up as the trade deadline gets closer. The deadline is Oct. 30.
Bell forfeits nearly $853,000 per week that he sits out. He will miss Monday night's tussle with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Rapoport noted that if a team acquired Bell, they'd need to have enough salary cap space to absorb nearly $10 million. The running back's new team couldn't sign him to a long-term contract until after the season.
Bell has his sights on resetting the running back market with a new deal. Any team trading for him would have to be willing to meet those demands or risk the investment being a short-term rental for a player who seems to crave the ability to test free-agent waters.
