The Steelers ended their three-week training camp at Saint Vincent College without Le’Veon Bell ever reporting, one month after they thought they had an agreement for him on a new five-year contract.

On the afternoon of the July 17 NFL deadline for Bell to come to terms on a multi-year contract, team officials thought they came to terms with his agent on a five-year deal. However, at the last minute, Bell nixed the contract.

The five-year deal, according to sources, averaged more than $12 million annually. While it could not be determined how much signing bonus or guaranteed money was included in that, the sources said it would have paid more than $30 million in the first two years.

Once the 4 p.m. deadline passed, the Steelers were prohibited to sign Bell to a multi-year contract. They had placed the one-year franchise tag of $12.12 million on him in March, which will become guaranteed once he signs it.

Bell can play this year and become an unrestricted free agent in 2018 - unless the Steelers tag him again. If they do, his salary would increase by 20 percent to $14,544,000 in 2018.

The sources told the Post-Gazette that Bell wants an average of $15 million. One year ago, he recorded a rap song titled “Focus” which included the lyrics, “I’m at the top, and if not, I’m the closest. I’m a need 15 a year and they know this.”

Shortly thereafter he told ESPN: “I’m not a real greedy guy. I don’t play football just for money or things like that. I just want to be valued — whether it’s $15 million or lower or higher, whatever it is — I think we will get to an agreement eventually.”

In his one-year deal - and even if he had signed the five-year offer - Bell averages nearly $4 million more than the next highest-paid back in the NFL. Atlanta’s Devonta Freeman recently signed a new contract that will pay on average of $8.25 million annually. Buffalo’s LeSean McCoy is No. 2 with an average of $8 million.

Adrian Peterson received the highest contract ever given an NFL running back - $96 million over seven years ($13.7 million on average) by the Minnesota Vikings at the start of the 2011 season, which included an option year. Peterson, suspended by the league for most of the 2014 season for alleged child abuse, signed a two-year, $7 million contract with New Orleans this year after the Vikings did not pick up his option for 2017.

The Steelers were baffled when Bell turned down their long-term offer July 17. Since then, both coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert have said they thought he should have been in training camp.

Nevertheless, the Steelers fully expect Bell to sign his franchise tag and report to the team soon. If he did hold out during the regular season, he would forfeit $713,000 in salary for each week missed. After 10 weeks, he could no longer play in 2017.

“He has not given any indication to anybody that he plans to hold out into the season,” Steelers president Art Rooney II told the Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac Thursday.