BEREA, Ohio _ The contract dispute between running back Le'Veon Bell and the Pittsburgh Steelers may not be over, but it has been put on hold just in time for the 2017 season opener against the Browns.
Bell, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, is expected to be in the lineup on Sunday when the teams meet at 1 p.m. at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Bell reported to the Steelers on Friday, signed a one-year franchise tender contract that will pay him $12.12 million this season, passed a physical and joined his teammates on the practice field on Monday.
Will the 25-year-old running back be rusty?
"He's one of the best for a reason, so we'd expect nothing less," Browns defensive tackle Jamie Meder said on Wednesday. "We've got to stop him."
Seeking a lucrative, long-term contract, Bell skipped the Steelers' off-season training activities and minicamp in the spring, and all of training camp in the summer. He playfully interacted with folks on Twitter in recent weeks, chronicled workouts in South Florida, challenged teammates to rap battles and applied for a job at Dairy Queen.
Browns coach Hue Jackson said he doesn't expect Bell to be limited on Sunday.
"He is a good football player," Jackson said. "He is very talented, and I'm sure he is ready to go. He will show up and play, but we will be there. We are going to play, too."
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin wasn't ready to reveal how much Bell would figure into Sunday's game plan when he spoke with Cleveland media on Wednesday.
"We have a lot of work ahead of us throughout the week, and how he performs in that work and how he responds to that work physically will have a lot to say about what the weekend looks like," Tomlin said. "We are walking that journey day by day."
Bell, a product of Groveport Madison High School and Michigan State University, last took a snap in an NFL game last season in the first quarter of the AFC championship loss to the New England Patriots. He left with a groin injury that required offseason surgery, and then rehabilitated his injury away from the Steelers in the spring and summer.
"Knowing Le'Veon, he is a baller so you have to be prepared to make some plays," Browns defensive tackle Danny Shelton said.
"He's just an explosive guy and patient. You don't really see too many patient, explosive guys. So I feel that part of his game, he's at the top of it. Nobody matches him with that."
Bell missed the first three games of last season while serving a drug suspension, and then returned in Week 4 to rush for 144 yards on 18 carries in a 43-14 victory against the visiting Kansas City Chiefs.
"I anticipate seeing the same guy that you see every week on film, and I'm coming in it with that attitude that we're going to have to stop one of the best in the game," Browns middle linebacker Joe Schobert said.
"He lets his blocks set up. He does an exceptional job at hitting the gap as soon as the D-lineman or linebacker loses their gap and gets too curious because he's being so patient. He pops out and hits it right in there where you're supposed to be and makes you pay."
Bell played in 12 games in 2016, and rushed for 1,268 yards and seven touchdowns on 261 carries. He ran for 337 yards combined in the first two rounds of the playoffs before bowing out early in the AFC title game.
In four seasons with the Steelers, Bell has played in 47 regular season games and rushed 908 times for 4,045 yards and 26 touchdowns. He missed 17 games over his first four NFL seasons because of injuries and suspensions.
Sunday will be the first time Browns rookie safety Jabrill Peppers sees Bell in person.
"I've faced a lot of patient runners, but he's definitely the most patient I've seen [on film]," Peppers said. "These guys play him twice every year, so they pretty much know what we've got to do _ limit his space, limit his opportunities and just be great tacklers."
Bell can become an unrestricted free agent after this season if the two sides can't agree on a long-term deal and if the Steelers don't place the franchise tag on him again. He told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Monday that he wanted to make sure he is "fresh for the season."
"I didn't want to jeopardize myself and get hurt in camp," Bell said. "I understand I'm on a one-year deal, so I have to prepare and play football. I didn't want to get hurt in camp. In my rookie camp, I got hurt. I didn't want to deal with that. I'm going to be ready for Game 1, the games that count."
Steelers guard David DeCastro told ESPN last week that he and his teammates would "embrace [Bell] with open arms." Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey agreed, and told the Post-Gazette he was not troubled by Bell not showing up until Monday.
"You know what type of player he is and how electrifying he is and what he brings to the passing game and running game," Pouncey said. "We're happy to have him here. He deserves it. Whenever you put that type of play on, you get the respect of the entire NFL, you deserve to get paid."
Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert has expressed disappointment that Bell missed training camp, comparing it to "boxing without sparring."
"We've said it in the past _ we want Le'Veon to have a great NFL career as a Pittsburgh Steeler," Colbert told ESPN in a recent interview. "That hasn't changed."
