For much of the offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers have dealt with the looming cloud of Pro Bowl running back Le'Veon Bell's contract situation, as he has been designated the franchise tag for the second straight year.

However, there have been some encouraging signs over the last couple of days, as Bell voiced during an appearance on the NFL Network's  Top 100 players reaction show earlier this week that things are hedging in the right direction. The 26-year-old now seems to have hinted that he's optimistic about striking a new deal on Instagram.

https://instagram.com/p/BkiZD1aBy-P/?utm_source=ig_embed

Throughout the entire process, Bell has voiced a strong desire to remain with the Steelers, but the extension talks have yet to truly progress since the franchise tag was put on him. A major part of this has been the strict asking price that he has stuck to at least $14 million a year.

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Bell has certainly put himself in position to earn a lucrative contract behind his stellar play on the field, which has helped him earn a reputation as the league's best all-around running back. This notion was only further solidified after he was voted by his peers as the top player at his position in this year's Top 100 players list.

He is coming off another highly productive campaign where he finished third in the league with 1,291 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns, as well as a career-best 85 catches for 655 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. His 85 receptions are the most by a running back in a single season in team history. Meanwhile, his 1,946 total scrimmage yards were second in the NFL and the third most in a single season in Steelers franchise history.

Ultimately, it's starting to appear that it may just be a matter of time before a new extension is worked out before the July 16 deadline.