PITTSBURGH -- Le'Veon Bell is getting game action after all.
Bell was under the Friday night lights at his alma mater of Columbus (Ohio) Groveport High School, where he confirmed to the Columbus Dispatch that he's reporting to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 1.
Earlier this week, responding to a Twitter user who asked when he would return to the field, Bell tweeted: "9-1-17."
Bell has yet to sign his $12.1 million franchise tender after he and the Steelers failed to sign a long-term contract by the July 17 franchise deadline.
"September 1st, I'll be back," Bell told the Columbus Dispatch. "They're side-to-side with me, I'm side-to-side with them."
In the offseason, Bell donated $750,000 for new state-of-the-art turf on Groveport's newly named Le'Veon Bell Field at Cruiser Stadium.
Bell trained in South Florida for most of August.
Teammates generally have supported Bell despite his absence. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger calls Bell an "amazing football player" who shouldn't have problems learning new wrinkles in the offense, though he cautions that "football shape" is much different than training on your own.
Some teammates grew tired of the constant Bell questions from the media, but center Maurkice Pouncey told ESPN he would have held out if in Bell's situation.
"I'm pretty sure he'll come in here and ball out like normal, things that Le'Veon does in the pass game and the running game," Pouncey said.
