Roethlisberger: Bell didn't return text on last day to sign tag

Ben Roethlisberger said Wednesday that his text to Le'Veon Bell on Tuesday - the final possible day for the running back to sign his franchise tender and rejoin the Pittsburgh Steelers - went unreturned.

"I said I hoped he showed up," the veteran quarterback told reporters, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "If he decided not to, I wished him nothing but the best. He was a great teammate and football player."

Bell became ineligible for the rest of the 2018 season after failing to sign the franchise tag before the deadline. He spent five years lined up alongside Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh, making three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams.

By refusing to sign the one-year tag, Bell also forfeited every bit of the $14.5 million he was set to make this season. The Steelers franchised Bell two years in a row, which prevented him from signing a more lucrative deal in free agency.

"The good thing is we don't have to talk about it again," Roethlisberger added, referring to the lengthy saga that's hovered over the Steelers' season, according to reporter Michele Gordon.