Report: Bell turned down deal worth $42M over first 3 years; $12M average

Le'Veon Bell is reportedly betting big on himself in 2017.

The running back is set to play this season on the $12.1-million franchise tag after the deadline passed Monday. However, the Pittsburgh Steelers apparently made a huge offer to stop that happening, proposing a contract that would pay Bell an average of $12 million per year, sources told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

The deal would have paid Bell $30 million in the first two years and $42 million by the third year, adds Pelissero. The Steelers' offer was a five-year contract, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.

The contract would've made Bell the highest-paid running back by a wide margin, blowing past LeSean McCoy's $8 million per year.

Bell said after the deadline passed that he wants to help raise the running-back market, which has taken a nosedive in recent years as teams look for more affordable options for what's perceived to be a replaceable position.

The Steelers' reported offer would have significantly raised the current ceiling, but still lags far behind the seven-year, $96-million contract given to Adrian Peterson by the Minnesota Vikings in 2011.

If Bell is seeking that level of compensation, it may be difficult for the Steelers to lock him down to an extension next offseason, though tagging him again would be an option - albeit an expensive one, with the price likely to be around $14.5 million.

Bell more than proved himself worthy of being the NFL's best-paid back last season, averaging a league-best 157 scrimmage yards per game in 12 starts.

However, his injury and suspension history may have been a factor in the Steelers' reluctance to raise their offer's average salary beyond the 2017 franchise-tag number.