Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell is not expected to report by the team’s Thursday night game against the Carolina Panthers in Week 10. And he might not return this season at all.

According to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic, there is a “real possibility” that Bell won't sign his franchise tender by the Tuesday deadline and will sit the entire 2018 season:

“A source confirmed to The Athletic that Bell is now contemplating whether or not he will show up by the Nov. 13 franchise tag deadline based on newly learned information from the collective bargaining agreement that would allow him to be deemed as a third-year franchise player in 2019 rather than to revert to the second year, even if he doesn't report.”

If Bell is designated on a third-year franchise tag, it would be worth around $25 million, which would be one of the highest contracts in the NFL. As Kaboly noted, the Steelers are most likely not going to tag him at such an enormous number, which would virtually make him a free agent.

The Steelers could use the transition tag on him, which would be worth less than the exclusive franchise tag they used this season. It would be worth around $9-10 million and allow the team to match any offer to Bell. But Bell would still be free to test the market under the transition tag, and even if the Steelers matched any external offers, he’d still get the long-term deal he’s wanted all along.

So basically, Bell might be able to have his cake and eat it too if he can land that massive deal even without showing up at all this year.