The Pittsburgh Steelers and running back Le’Veon Bell had until 4 p.m. Monday to work out a new contract. The deadline came and went, so Bell will play the season under his franchise-tagged salary of about $14.544 million, then almost certainly will become an unrestricted free agent.

Soon after the deadline, Bell posted a statement to Twitter that struck a conciliatory tone toward fans, saying he had hoped to reach an agreement to keep him with the Steelers long term, but “the NFL is a hard business at times.” He added, “trust me, 2018 will be my best season to date.”

That sentiment stood in contrast to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter earlier in the day. During an appearance on Sirius XM NFL Radio, Schefter said: “I think it’s possible Le’Veon Bell sits out the first half of the year if he doesn’t get a long-term deal done. The goal at that point would be to hit 2019 free agency healthy, not rack up another 400 touches.”

Bell himself hinted at such a move in March, two months after he said he would contemplate retirement if forced to play a second consecutive season under the franchise tag.

“I just have to decide if I’m going to play when the time comes,” he told ESPN then.

None of the other three players who received the franchise tag from their teams – Lions pass rusher Ezekiel Ansah, Rams defensive back Lamarcus Joyner and Cowboys pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence – reached long-term contract agreements before the deadline, meaning all three will play out the season on the franchise tag before becoming unrestricted free agents in 2019, unless their teams choose to tag them again.

Bell, 26, has averaged 128.9 yards per game over his career, the highest number since the NFL/AFL merger in 1970. He’s a strong pass blocker and strong pass catcher, with at least 75 receptions in three of his five NFL seasons. Bell also led the NFL last season with 321 carries. Basically he never leaves the field when Pittsburgh has the ball, yet he’s only averaged slightly more than $5 million per season.

Ezekiel Elliott of the Cowboys, meanwhile, has earned nearly $18 million over his first two years. Todd Gurley of the Rams will average nearly $6 million over his first four seasons. Both were first-round draft picks; Bell was not, a fact that hindered his earning potential.

But the Steelers apparently aren’t willing to budge from their long-held mindset in which no player’s salary is guaranteed beyond that particular season.

“I’m the one to bet on myself. And I’ll do it again,” Bell said in March. “I understand how the Steelers do contracts. Last year I was pounding the table on guaranteed money. That’s not the case. If I’m not getting guaranteed money, I want a lot more up front … It’s year-to-year with the Steelers. Essentially if I sign a four- or five-year deal, I’m playing four or five franchise tags.”

Bell has yet to sign his franchise-tag tender and hasn’t had any contact with his teammates since the playoff loss to Jacksonville in January. Until he signs, he cannot be forced to participate in team activities, and last year he didn’t sign his tender until six days before the regular season. Under the CBA, he can wait until November to sign the tender and still earn an accrued season of service, opening the door to free agency and the open market. Apparently that possibility is on the table.

JETS: The team waived its 2015 second-round draft pick, Devin Smith, and signed safety Brandon Bryant.

Smith, a wide receiver from Ohio State, couldn’t stay healthy or provide anything on the field for the team. He played in 14 games with 10 receptions. Smith suffered two major knee injuries.

PACKERS: Green Bay’s profit fell by nearly 50 percent in the last fiscal year as the team missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade.

Mark Murphy, the president and CEO, said the outlook for the Packers remains strong as the NFL’s only publicly owned team released its 2018 financial statement. The Packers announced a profit from operations of $34.1 million, a steep decline from $65.4 million a year earlier.

BOOMER ESIASON is dropping his national radio duties on NFL Monday night games.

Esiason was the analyst on Westwood One’s broadcast for 18 years, sharing the booth with Kevin Harlan and, before that, Marv Albert and Howard David. Esiason, the 1988 NFL MVP, called the Super Bowl for each of those seasons.

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