The Pittsburgh Steelers have been without the services of star running back Le'Veon Bell for over the last several weeks, but there is finally have a return date in place.

In light of that, Pro Bowl quarterback Ben Roethlisberger told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN that he has no hard feelings toward Bell's absence from the team in training camp.

“There's no hard feelings,” Roethlisberger said.

“We will be ready for [Bell] whenever he gets here,” Roethlisberger said. “We always want our guys here. But he didn’t have to be here. So, we want him here because he’s an amazing football player and he helps this team. So, when he gets here, hopefully it won’t take him long to get into football shape.”

The 25-year-old has yet to ink the $12.1 million franchise tender and has spent the offseason training in South Florida. He has made it clear that he desires a new lucrative contract from the Steelers, but he won't be able to sign any new deal until next offseason, as the deadline passed back in July.

Although Roethlisberger has continued to praise the Pro Bowl running back, he has been frustrated by the entire situation with Bell being away from the team. It has created an unneeded distraction that the Steelers have had to deal with over several weeks.
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That said, Bell's return will provide an immediate boost to their offense, with one of their primary weapons back in place. He is coming off a highly productive campaign with 1,268 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns in 12 games.