Report: Mike Wallace to report to Steelers by this weekend

The most Wallace will make this year is $2.7 million. (Getty Images)

Last week, when Steelers receiver Emmanuel Sanders was asked about the absence of Mike Wallace, who still hasn't signed his restricted free agent tender, Sanders implied that Wallace could return to the team soon.

“He has his own little plan,” Sanders said. “But I know that myself, you guys and Steeler Nation are just ecstatic about him saying that he's going to come back. For the longest time we didn't know when he was going to come back, but it's starting to look really good. There's light at the end of the tunnel at training camp and for Wallace coming back.”

And that light at the end of the tunnel might be ignited by this weekend, according to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. A source told the PG that Wallace is expected in Pittsburgh after the Steelers preseason game with the Bills and will then sign his contract worth $2.742 million.

Although the Steelers already said they were done negotiating with Wallace -- at least, when he was absent from the preseason -- they could potentially reopen contract discussions.

But since the Steelers typically don't negotiate during the regular season, there won't be much time for the two sides to come to an agreement before Week 1.

That means Wallace might actually enter free agency at the end of 2012, where he'll be looking for a deal worth at least as much as the contract the Steelers recently gave Antonio Brown (worth $42.5 million over six years).

But Wallace also has plenty of work ahead of him. It's unclear if he'd be ready for the final preseason game of the season, and he'll still have to finish learning the offense of new offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

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