Le'Veon Bell is probably hoping that, when he returns to the Steelers, he can finally sign his franchise tender while finally back onto the football field. That may not happen, however, as the Steelers may look to place a two-week roster exemption on the All-Pro running back. By placing the two-week roster exemption on Bell, Bell could practice with the team but would be unable to play in the team's next two games, a home matchup against the Cleveland Browns and a road matchup with the Baltimore Ravens.

Here's why that scenario, while possible, possibly won't play out. The Steelers and Bell would have to agree on the compensation Bell would receive during the two-week exemption. Given Bell and his agent's negotiating history with the Steelers, it seems highly unlikely that the two sides would come to terms on an agreement there, unless Pittsburgh would be willing to pay him his full amount of about $855,000 per week for those two weeks. That also seems unlikely, which means that, while the Steelers may try to place the exemption him, Bell will most likely just sign his tender whenever he returns to the team.

Regardless of how the Steelers handle Bell's return, Ben Roethlisberger, Bell's teammate since the 2013 season, doesn't think that Bell will be physically ready to help the team as soon as he signs his franchise tag. Big Ben said as much Tuesday during his weekly radio show on 93.7 The Fan.

"Think about how long it’s been since he’s played an NFL football game," Roethlisberger said, "there’s no way he’s ready to play against the Browns. Even when he comes back, he’s going to be 3-4 weeks away from being football ready, if you will. That gives James [Conner] more chances to continue to work and get better."

Conner, who has replaced Bell in the starting lineup, is enjoying a strong season, having rushed for over 100 yards in three of Pittsburgh's first six games. He also has seven rushing touchdowns that includes four touchdowns in the Steelers' last two games, a 41-17 win over the visiting Falcons and a 28-21 road victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. When asked about how the Steelers should handle the running back position when Bell returns, Pittsburgh Pro Bowl offensive lineman David DeCastro said that Pittsburgh should mimic the two-back set that the Saints are currently employing with Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara.

“I like that style,” DeCastro told Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I think it’s a hard position to have one. I think Le’Veon has done a tremendous job of being the workhorse. There’s something to be said for that. It’s hard to do. It’s impressive what he’s done, but to have two guys in there that are always going to be fresh to be able to pound on a defense … it’s a good system to have, and we will see how it goes.”