The Facts: Following up on the ongoing story. ... Appearing Thursday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Bryant believes he will soon be returning to Pittsburgh. "When you speak to people close to him," Rapoport said, "they are confident that in the near future he will get word that he has been reinstated to the NFL."

Diehards Line: As previously noted, Bryant is awaiting confirmation from Commissioner Roger Goodell after applying for reinstatement in mid-January. As confident as Bryant's camp might be, the Steelers organization has been hesitant to place full faith in his availability. Just this week, HC Mike Tomlin expressed that sentiment. "From a professional standpoint, we understand the nature of this business, that the train moves on," Tomlin said. "And we have been on it now for 12 months. Hopefully he will get the opportunity to maybe get onto the moving train." That said, the tide may be starting to turn. The Steelers now have legitimate hope that Bryant will be back for the start of offseason workouts on April 17, NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala reported Friday. ... We'll continue to watch for more.