Pittsburgh Steelers rookie running back Le'Veon Bell will not require season-ending surgery on his foot, coach Mike Tomlin stated during Thursday's press conference.

Bell suffered a Lisfranc injury during Monday's 24-13 loss to the Washington Redskins, which Tomlin characterized as a mid-foot sprain. The injury was expected to keep Bell sidelined for 6-8 weeks, and MRI results from Tuesday were expected to shed more light on the severity of the injury. Bell had just four carries before being forced to leave the game with the foot injury, and he missed the first preseason game due to a lingering knee injury.

A second-round pick out of Michigan State, Bell was expected to be a major part of the running game for the Steelers along with Isaac Redman. Pittsburgh let Rashard Mendenhall depart in the offseason to free agency and had looked to rebuild its rushing attack with Bell and Redman sharing starting duties.

Tomlin stated on Thursday that the team is encouraged by Bell's progress so far, although an exact timeline for his return was not stated.

The Steelers next take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, Aug. 24 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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