Ben Roethlisberger texted Le'Veon Bell before the 4:00 PM deadline on Tuesday, but didn't hear back.
Bell decided not to report and will forfeit the entirety of his $14.5 million franchise tag.
"I texted him, saying I hoped he was going to show up and if he decided not to, I wished him nothing but the best," Roethlisberger said Wednesday morning from his locker. "He was a great teammate and football player."
Roethlisberger and Bell played together for five seasons.
"To each their own on what they want to walk away from," Roethlisberger said.