Steelers franchise tag Le'Veon Bell for 2nd straight year

Tag. Le'Veon Bell's it. Again.

The Pittsburgh Steelers used their exclusive franchise tag on running back Le'Veon Bell for the second consecutive season, the team confirmed. The transaction was made an hour before Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline.

Because it's the second straight year, the tag will pay Bell $14.544 million for the 2018 season instead of the standard amount for running backs. Bell played under a tender worth $12.12 million for the 2017 campaign.

Bell rushed for 1,291 yards and nine touchdowns, adding 85 receptions for 655 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games. The Steelers star was named a first-team All-Pro for the second time, operating as one of the focal points of the offense alongside Antonio Brown.

The running back told reporters Monday that he was contemplating sitting out if the Steelers didn't meet his demands. Bell later tweeted that he wanted to remain with the Steelers for the duration of his career.