Despite the negative optics for Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell arising from his continued holdout, he is still hopeful that the current saga he’s in will end in him signing a long-term contract with the team, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

Bell still wants to retire as a Steeler, despite a hectic last month. He said he believes the team will re-negotiate with him, either in the offseason or if they were to rescind the tag, which he doesn't expect.

“I could be naïve or hopeful, but at the end of the day I feel like that's what's going to happen,” Bell said about re-signing with the team. “I don't think they really want me gone. That could be me being prideful. But I'm still holding out hope.”

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While Bell isn’t sure that’s what’s going to happen, it shows that he’s still willing to remain in Pittsburgh even though his relationship with the team may have soured a bit because of his holdout. The Steelers could be willing to overlook a damaged business rapport with Bell so long as he’s back on the field helping them get wins that are becoming harder to come by as the season gets deeper.

That being said, it’s been reported, too, that the Steelers are not closing the door on teams looking to acquire Le’Veon Bell via a trade. Adam Schefter of ESPN also noted that the Steelers can use the transition tag on Bell next year, though, that’s only in theory so far, as the team hasn’t shown any signs that they’re going that way.