Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell has given zero indication about his return for the 2018 NFL season. As a result, the Steelers have announced that they will be listening to trade offers for the three-time Pro Bowler.

It remains to be seen what kind of return Pittsburgh is expecting. However, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, the Steelers are keeping an open mind about the whole process:

“Teams have called [the Steelers] looking to potentially trade for Le’Veon Bell,” Rapoport said.  “They are not shooting those [offers] down out of hand at this point. Instead, they are simply listening. It’s not a dramatic change, but it is a change now just as how the Steelers are approaching [Bell]. A trade of Le’Veon Bell is possible. It would be very complicated, but you could do it.”

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It is still strange to see that things have gotten to this point between Bell and the Steelers considering all the optimism from both sides this offseason. However, it appears they are ready to move on.

It goes without saying that the two-time first-team All-Pro should garner quite an offer. However, it would take quite the investment for any team to acquire Bell. Not only are they potentially giving up a number of quality picks in exchange but they will also have to lock him up with a lucrative contract in order to keep him around.

That said, teams will need time to examine whether or not they will be willing to pay such a steep price. This means that a deal is not likely to happen any time soon. However, that could quickly change given the unpredictable nature of the NFL. There are a number of running back-hungry teams in the NFL. They could very well pull the trigger if they find themselves in a position to compete in the playoffs.