The clock is ticking on Le’Veon Bell and the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have set a Feb. 20 deadline to get a long-term deal done. But when he was asked in an interview during Pro Bowl practice about his contract situation, Bell merely reiterated what he has been saying for some time that he really wants to stay a Steeler.

“On a scale of 1-10 on how bad I wanna be with the Steelers, it’s like a 15,” said Bell. “I wanna for sure be a Pittsburgh Steeler for my whole career. I will say, I can’t really go into details the contract, we’re a lot closer this year than we were last year at this point. That’s the biggest thing for me.

“I like the progress, I like that we’re trying to get it done as quickly as possible and that I’m a priority, so that feels good.”

Bell is coming off another stellar season with the Steelers, racking up 1,291 rushing yards and nine touchdowns as well as 655 receiving yards last season. At his best, he’s one of the most dynamic, multi-dimensional offensive weapons in the entire NFL.

But in order for Bell’s wish to be a Steeler for life to come true, Pittsburgh will likely have to pay him like one of the top players in the league. Bell will be hesitant to accept a below-market deal or the franchise tag. But with negotiations progressing, there’s still a chance they meet their Feb. 20 deadline and the Steelers finally get a deal done with the star running back.