Steelers: Le’Veon Bell ahead in rehab

The Steelers are hoping their running back will return from knee injury in time for the start of the regular season.

Le’Veon Bell his first milestone in recovery from the MCL and PCL injury he sustained just four months ago. He began running on a treadmill on Tuesday and while a football player running on a treadmill in the offseason isn’t all that significant this is a different case.

Bell enters the final year of his rookie contract this year and since he was taken in the second-round he doesn’t have the fifth-year option the Steelers could pick up like is typically done with first-round picks. Historically, the Steelers have negotiated and re-signed players prior to entering the final year of their deal.

The Steelers will have to determine if signing Bell to a long-term contract without seeing him be able to finish a season injury-free. To be fair the injuries Bell has sustained have been collision injuries as opposed to soft-tissue injuries that could indicate a lack of durability.

On the other hand the wear and tear on Bell because of the collision injuries he sustained might diminish his long-term abilities. His ability to be already working out on a treadmill at his point in his recovery from the knee injury sustained in the Steelers’ Nov. 1^st loss to the Bengals is very significant.

Last season Bell returned to training camp after suffering a hyper extended knee in the final regular season game of 2014 in some kind of competition with Antonio Brown over which player had less body fat. There’s no question that Bell keeps and will continue to keep himself in peak physical condition.

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I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if prior to the start of training camp or possibly the preseason there is an announcement made about a contract extension to Bell. If they sign him now it will be a lot cheaper than if he goes off in 2016 and drives the price up.

Also, Bell just recently dropped his mix tape which is evidently straight fire. So he’s got that going for him.