Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell has been steadfast in his holdout from the team. With no end in sight, offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner has had to come up with a contingency plan.

Bell is expected to report back before the start of the 2018 NFL season. However, according to Bryan DeArdo of 247Sports, Fichtner is ready to rely on the current members of the backfield if he is not back:

“No doubt,” Fichtner said. “That’s why we’ve given all of the [first team] reps to James [Conner] and have given reps to some of the other guys. You’re starting to see [Jaylen Samuels], you’ll see [Jarvion Franklin] this week. There will be guys getting reps. I’ll be excited to see [Bell] when he gets here.”

It goes without saying that running back James Connor has established himself as the best option in Bell's absence. He has started in every preseason game and even managed to impress quarterback Ben Roethlisberger with his versatile skill set out of the backfield. Meanwhile, running backs Jaylen Samuels and Jarvion Franklin have been extremely active in the preseason as well.

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Despite his confidence in the backfield situation, it is clear that Fichtner is hoping to have Bell back for the season opener against the Cleveland Browns. He has done a magnificent job as the Steelers' workhorse over the past several years and is one of the focal points of the offense.

Rumors surfaced about Bell declaring to his teammates that he would return by Labor Day. Unfortunately, he quickly refuted those reports.

Regardless, it is safe to assume Bell will be good to go by Week 1 considering his desire to make a statement this season.