Le’Veon Bell can lastly admit that coming to New York was in all probability a mistake.
Or, extra particularly, the choice that led to his being a Jet — sitting out all the 2018 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers for a assured contract — was a mistake.
The Steelers positioned the franchise tag on Brown for $14.5 million however he by no means signed it.
“It was like just a little petty, the assure stuff,” Bell mentioned on the Metal Right here podcast. “… I’m pondering, may I’ve simply ate [the money]? Yeah, I in all probability may’ve, yeah. I in all probability may’ve actually ate it.”
On the time, Bell was coming off consecutive seasons of over 1200 speeding yards and might need been the most effective operating again within the league.
He was a three-time Professional Bowl choice and two-time All Professional in Pittsburgh taking part in alongside facet Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown.
However after the Jets signed him to a four-year, $52 million deal, of which $27 million was assured, he fell off a cliff.
Bell ran for 789 yards in his solely full season with the Jets in 2019, and was launched in October 2020 after taking part in simply two video games.
He has not performed within the NFL since a 2021 stint with the Buccaneers, going unsigned by way of final season.
Although Bell has not formally retired, it could be a shock to see him play subsequent season after sitting out all of 2022, and taking part in a boxing match in opposition to YouTuber JMX in April, which Bell gained through unanimous determination.
Nonetheless, Bell is likely one of the most proficient operating backs to grace the sector in recent times.
Who is aware of what may have been had he signed the franchise tag with the Steelers and stayed with the crew that gave him a lot success.
