Adam Schefter reports the latest on Le'Veon Bell and when he may return to the Steelers. (0:29)

Despite the expectation that Le'Veon Bell would report back to Pittsburgh this week, the Steelers have not heard anything from the running back and still don't know when he will return, sources tell ESPN.

There are some sources around the league who believe that because Bell does not want to be traded, he will wait until after the NFL's Oct. 30 trade deadline to return to work.

The Steelers could not trade Bell until he signs his franchise tender, and if he waits to sign the tender after the deadline, Pittsburgh could not deal him.

The Steelers are not planning to trade Bell, but have not completely dismissed the idea either, based on how aggressively another team could pursue Bell.

To date, the trade interest in Bell has been limited due to the circumstances that surround his situation, according to sources. Bell told ESPN that he planned on playing this season, and a source told ESPN earlier this month that the star running back was expected to report during the Week 7-8 time frame.