Le'Veon Bell still hasn't reported to the Pittsburgh Steelers as of Monday.

Bell forfeits $855,000 for each week he fails to sign his $14.5 million franchise tag.

ESPN reported Bell expected to return during the Week 7-8 time frame. 

Bell must report by Nov. 13 in order to play this season.

Le'Veon Bell has been reaching out to James Conner with support this season as he continues to hold out. Conner is starting at running back while Bell is out.

"Anytime I do something good on the field, I always come back to the locker room [to] a text from him saying 'good game' or 'nice move right there,'" Conner said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

"Me and Le'Veon are super cool. He's a great person. With him holding out, people are going to call him selfish, but that's not the case at all. It's just business, and that's my guy."

The Pittsburgh Steelers do not expect Le'Veon Bell to report this week.

Bell could instead report Oct. 22.

"I miss football," Bell said earlier this month. "When I do get back, I plan to give it my all. I still do want to go out there and win a Super Bowl with the Steelers."

Bell hasn't signed his $14.5 million franchise tag while preserving his health for a long-term contract.

The Pittsburgh Steelers still haven't heard from Le'Veon Bell despite his plan to report in time to be ready for their Oct. 28 game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Bell has deployed a strategy that has kept Steelers officials and players in the dark, with no contact with any of them.

Bell could return any time between Monday and the following Monday, Oct. 22.

Bell hasn't signed his $14.5 million franchise tag while preserving his health for a long-term contract in Pittsburgh or elsewhere.

Ben Roethlisberger admitted that his elbow has been bothering him since Week 1 and it affected how he threw last week.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a bye after this Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals and Roethlisberger won't throw during the time off.

"I don't know that it's completely healthy," offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner said of the quarterback's right elbow. "But I don't know that in any given season anyone — or any arm — is going to be completely healthy all the time.

"We try to do the right things to manage numbers of throws in the week, and I know that after this weekend he will get an extended rest and it will be good for him. But as far as being able to make throws, he can make the throws, and as far as practice, he can practice."

Le'Veon Bell is expected to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers soon, which likely means James Conner will be relegated to reserve duty.

If Ben Roethlisberger has a say, the second-year running back will continue to touch the football when Bell returns.

"The good thing is that I'm not the coach, right? I don't have to make that decision. What I would say is, I don't think we put [James] on the shelf by any means," the quarterback told 93.7 The Fan.

"Now granted, I think Le'Veon's one of the best in the business, I think we all understand that and can agree on that. But what James needs to understand -- and he's gonna say the right things, and he should [as] a younger guy with a veteran, awesome football player ahead of him -- but when Le'Veon comes back, in no way, shape or form should James just say, 'OK, it's all yours. I'm gonna sit back and when you need me, use me.'

"And I will push for James to get as much run as we can because we've seen some great things from him in all phases of football. He's picking up blitzes, he's catching the ball, he's running hard and making plays and playing with a passion, so we need to keep using that."

Conner is one of only four running backs with 300-plus yards rushing and 200-plus yards receiving through five weeks.

Le'Veon Bell is expected to report to the Pittsburgh Steelers during the Week 7-8 time frame.

The Steelers are on a bye in Week 7.

Bell is still sitting out while refusing to sign his franchise tender, but said he's in prime physical condition and could play football "tomorrow" if he needed. He added he'll be "fully committed" to playing his best for Pittsburgh upon his return.

"It sucks having to sit out football," Bell said by telephone from South Florida on Monday. "I want to play. I want to win games and the playoffs.

"But I've gotta take this stand. Knowing my worth and knowing I can tear a ligament or get surgery at any time, I knew I couldn't play 16 games with 400 or more touches."

Ben Roethlisberger took the blame after the Pittsburgh Steelers' 26-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night.

"I'm not on the same page with anybody right now," Roethlisberger said when he was asked whether he's on the same page with Antonio Brown.

Roethlisberger finished with 274 yards on 27-of-47 passing with one touchdown and an interception, but only 50 of those yards came in the second half.

"I'm not playing well enough," he said. "I need to play better. Today was just a bad day at the office. I promise I'll be back to play better."

The Steelers are 1-2-1 to begin the season.