Since the Pittsburgh Steelers were eliminated from the playoffs, the bulk of the media attention on the team has been centered on star running back Le'Veon Bell's future with the organization.

The situation has been fluid so far, with some reports stating that the 25-year-old could seriously consider departing via free agency. However, it appears that the new contract talks between both sides are hedging in the right direction, according to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic.

Throughout this entire ordeal, Bell continues to voice his strong desire to remain with Pittsburgh. His only issue is getting the contract that he believes he deserves as one of the league's top running backs. The fact that things are already moving in a positive manner lends well to a new, lucrative long-term deal being worked out in the near future.

He has been quite vocal about not wanting to get the franchise tag placed on him for the second straight offseason, suggesting that he would either sit out the 2018 season or retire altogether. That said, Bell indicated on Wednesday morning that the Steelers have not informed him if they are going to designate the franchise tag on him again to buy more time for a long-term deal.

Bell has been the centerpiece of the Steelers' offense over the last few seasons while emerging as a legitimate superstar in the NFL. He is coming off another highly productive campaign where he finished third in rushing yards with 1,291 while scoring nine touchdowns. He was also equally impactful as a receiver out of the backfield, leading his position with a career-high 85 catches for 655 receiving yards and two touchdowns.