The Pittsburgh Steelers plan on keeping Martavis Bryant and will reject trade inquiries they receive.

Bryant wanted to be traded early in the 2017 season but his production increased in the second half. The Steelers also have Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster on their depth chart at wide receiver.

“We have never ever made one phone call about Martavis Bryant for a trade,” Colbert said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Martavis Bryant is a Pittsburgh Steeler and we want him to continue to be a Pittsburgh Steeler. A lot of kids don’t make it back from a one-year suspension, but he did. We are not in the trade market for [Bryant].”

Ryan Shazier said in his first interview since suffering a severe spinal injury in early December that he plans to play football again.

"I've gotta get back, bro," Shazier said on Pittsburgh Steelers teammate Roosevelt Nix's podcast.

Shazier, 25, underwent spinal stabilization surgery Dec. 6 after a tackling attempt on Monday Night Football in Cincinnati left him clutching his lower back. The linebacker has utilized a wheelchair but is making progress in his rehab and was cleared for outpatient care on Feb. 1.

"I really feel I'm the best linebacker ever," Shazier said. "I just have to be back out there so everybody can see it. You know what I'm saying?"

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Le'Veon Bell each prefer a contract extension this offseason but it remains to be seen if they can agree upon terms.

"We never will discount the use of the tag because that's collectively bargained," Kevin Colbert told reporters Thursday. "But, again, our goal is to have something done on a long-term basis."

The Steelers could still use the franchise tag on Bell, which would be worth approximately $14.5 million.

Asked if he's optimistic over a new deal, Colbert said, "I believe I am."

Bell's 1,946 total yards in 15 games stretched his average to 128.9 yards from scrimmage per game since 2013, an NFL record since the 1970 merger for a player's first five seasons.

Based on the calculations of a $178 million salary cap, Albert Breer has projected the following franchise tags for 2018:

CB: $15.04 million
DE: $17.22 million
DT: $14.00 million 
LB: $15.03 million
OL: $14.14 million
K/P: $4.96 million
QB: $23.29 million 
RB: $11.90 million
S: $11.34 million 
TE: $9.90 million 
WR: $16.05 million

With Washington trading for Alex Smith, they are unlikely to tag Kirk Cousins, but Le'Veon Bell could receive it from the Steelers.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have reworked the contracts of David DeCastro and Stephon Tuitt. 

The deals create $13.26 million in cap space for 2018.

Each player agreed to earn the minimum base salary for a player of their tenure in 2018 ($790,000), converting the rest of their base salary into a signing bonus.

Ryan Shazier has been discharged from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center rehabilitation facility and will transition to outpatient care.

Shazier can live at home and travel to and from a facility for his recovery from Dec. 6 spinal stabilization surgery, according to a source.

He posted pictures on Instagram on Thursday of him standing with Ben Roethlisberger, family and friends.

"I've had a lot of 1st downs at UPMC, but you know being the defensive guy I am, my mind is on 3 and out," Shazier wrote. "I want everyone to know I'm moving on to the next step in the process. Today's a big day for me as I'm officially being released from the hospital."