Le’Veon Bell: An unfortunate tale of rags to riches to rags

The latest news on former New York Jets RB Le’Veon Bell is another sad chapter in a once-promising career. 

When he was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Le’Veon Bell was part of a prolific trio that was known as the “Killer B’s”. With Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, and Bell in the fold, the Steelers were an offensive juggernaut.

After he was drafted out of Michigan State in the second round back in 2013, Bell became a household name for his style of play. The running lanes were wide, the passes were flowing his way, and his durability made him a hot commodity and a fantasy football must-have.

Everything was going well and smooth as Pittsburgh was winning and they even made it to the AFC Championship in one of the seasons during Bell’s tenure.

Things haven’t gone according to plan in the NFL for Le’Veon Bell

Then it came time for the running back to negotiate a contract extension with the Steelers, something that was believed by many to be well deserved. Unfortunately, an agreement could not be reached and Pittsburgh used the franchise tag on Bell in 2017, a season in which he earned a trip to the Pro Bowl.

In 2018, the Steelers placed the franchise tag on Bell for the second year in a row. Instead of playing though, the running back opted to sit out of the entire 2018 season after two consecutive Pro Bowl campaigns and three overall.

In January of 2019, Pittsburgh announced that they would not use the franchise tag on Bell again, and thus, the former Michigan State star became a free-agent.

In March of 2019, Bell signed a four-year, $52.5 million contract with the New York Jets with $27 million of it being guaranteed. So the running back was getting paid handsomely in green to suit up for the Gang Green.

The move was expected to help stunt the growth of Jets quarterback Sam Darnold while also allowing Bell to rekindle the abilities that made him a two-time First-Team All-Pro. Long story short, this didn’t happen.

Even though Bell ran for 789 yards last season, which by no means is a disappointment, it’s a far cry from what he was known for doing in Pittsburgh. This year the running back has been bothered by a hamstring injury and it’s resulted in him rushing for just 74 yards in two games.

Then, the final blow came on Tuesday as Bell was released by New York after rushing for just 863 yards since he signed with the team last year. Prior to his eventual release, the New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta reported that the Jets were actively shopping the veteran running back.

People shouldn’t blame Bell for any of the issues that have been transpiring. In fact, people should be feeling a level of sympathy for a guy that only wanted to be paid because he produced while playing a position that doesn’t get the same financial commitment as a high-level quarterback in the NFL.

In addition, it has been reported that in 2019, New York head coach Adam Gase was not for the signing of Bell following his holdout, which likely led to the eventual dismissal of former Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan. If a coach didn’t want the player on his team, that has to fall on the general manager for making that decision. So Bell and Gase (shockingly) are both innocent here.

Obviously, a quarterback is the most important piece on a football team. But a stable running game is also vital in order to establish a balance and also provide an option that can perplex a defense.

Bell was once a shining star, but leave it to the Jets to be a reason for a decline. The veteran deserves better, even if it’s in a different uniform. He now has that opportunity, so let’s see who gets him.