There was a fire truck and a Rolls-Royce at Steelers training camp on Thursday, but unfortunately for Pittsburgh, there was no Le'Veon Bell.
The Steelers running back was nowhere to be seen as the team reported for training camp in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Bell, who was hit with the franchise tag this year, didn't report for camp because he's unhappy that he wasn't able to work out a long-term deal with the Steelers before the July 17 deadline given to all franchise players.
Without a long-term contract in place, Bell will be forced to play the 2017 season under a one-year franchise deal that will pay him $12.12 million. However, Bell hasn't yet signed his one-year franchise tender, which means the Steelers can't fine him for missing training camp.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin called the situation with Bell "unfortunate."
"Obviously I would like him to be here," Tomlin said Thursday, via ESPN.com. "I'm going to focus my energies on the guys who are. It's an unfortunate circumstance, one that we'll deal with, one that he'll deal. I've had good, clean communication with him. I'll leave the nature of those conversations between us. But rest assured that he'll be ready to play football."
Tomlin didn't seem to have any idea on when Bell might show up for camp.
"When he gets here? I don't know," Tomlin said. "I'll remain focused on the guys who are here and their overall development. When he gets here, he gets here."
The Steelers shouldn't be too surprised that Bell was a no-show on Thursday. After the franchise deadline passed on July 17, Bell said he wouldn't be in any hurry to sign his tender, which might've been his way of hinting at the fact that he wasn't going to show for the beginning of training camp.
"It's a little frustrating, but it's a business," Bell told ESPN.com. "I'm not in a rush to sign for something I'm not valued at if I feel I'm worth more than what they are offering me."
Bell recently told former Steelers teammate Ike Taylor that he was seeking a deal worth roughly $15 million per season. According to Taylor, Bell wants to be paid as a No. 1 running back and a No. 2 wide receiver.
Although Bell wasn't in camp on Thursday, the Steelers did avoid another possible holdout when they reached a deal with left tackle Alejandro Villanueva. Villanueva, who was only scheduled to make $615,000 in 2017, signed a four-year, $24 million contract with the Steelers on Thursday morning.
Even though Bell wasn't there, spirits still seemed high at camp for the Steelers, thanks in large part to Antonio Brown and James Harrison.
Brown showed up to camp in a 1931 Rolls-Royce Phantom I four-door convertible.
Just @AB84 arriving in a classic 1930s Rolls Royce... with a driver. 💯#NFLTrainingCamp pic.twitter.com/2raipNM6UX
— NFL (@NFL) July 27, 2017
As for Harrison, he showed up in a fire truck, and because we wouldn't tell you something like that without showing it to you, here's Harrison and his fire truck.
The full Harrison fire truck interview pic.twitter.com/ORoIxrHtMM
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) July 27, 2017