Le’Veon Bell, the former running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, has been rather busy since he last appeared on an NFL field over two years ago.
Bell made an appearance as a milkshake on The Masked Singer in 2022, when she sang “Jump On It” and “What Is Love.”
Bell started his profession in that same year. In the sixth round of an exhibition match, he defeated Adrian Peterson, another All-Pro running back.
He faced former UFC middleweight Uriah Hall a month later, but was defeated unanimously.
He defeated YouTuber JMX in a unanimous decision in 2023.
Bell still seems to be itching to play football, despite everything that has happened.
On February 3, Bell posted a statement on his Instagram story expressing his desire to rejoin the NFL, with hints that he would like to do so with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
According to Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot, Bell stated, “I won’t start training until like March.” And I have to be honest with myself—I have to step out there and declare that I’m going to make a move. Can I sense it? Do I injure myself? Is it possible for me to return to playing outside? And, dude, I’m telling you all up front that when I go back to the gym in March and decide in April to return to the NFL to play, you can count on me to be better than I’ve ever been. And I’m only going to return for that one squad. All of you are aware of iti. I’m not required to refuse.
How Much Still Is in Bell’s Tank?
Bell’s peak performance has been a long time ago.
His last season of over a thousand yards of running was 2017.
After that, in 2019 he averaged 3.2 yards per rush while playing for the Jets.
Before the team cut him, he had not yet completed the second season of a four-year contract in New York.
Following his Chiefs trade, his numbers started to slowly rise again. In Kansas City, he only carried the ball 63 times, but he averaged 4 yards per carry.
He played for both the Buccaneers and Ravens in 2021. He only gained 2.6 yards per carry on average between the two stops.
He hasn’t participated in an NFL game in more than two years.
Bell is only 31 years old, so perhaps he can still play. At 31, Raheem Mostert recently experienced his best year to date.
Bell was drafted the same year as Latavius Murray and Cordarrelle Patterson, both of whom continue to garner touches.
To persuade a team to sign him, all he has to do is demonstrate far more than he did during his last few trips.
Going Back to the Steelers
Bell was one of the top running backs in the NFL while he was a member of the Steelers.
He spent five seasons with the organization and was selected three times as an All-Pro, including once to the First organization.
His rookie season and the season he was limited to just six games due to an ACL tear were the two seasons he failed to earn a spot on the All-Pro team.
Sadly, Pittsburgh’s story didn’t end all that happily.
For the second straight year, Bell was assigned the franchise tag by the Steelers during the 2018 offseason.
Bell sat out the whole 2018 season because he sought a long-term contract, and the two parties were unable to reach an agreement. He left and signed with the Jets the next season.
Though the Steelers don’t actually need a running back, he wants to come back now.
It doesn’t make sense to bring him in as the third stringer when Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren already hold the top two slots on the roster and a young player with greater potential might fill that spot.
It’s possible that Bell will be able to obtain the preseason playing time he has always talked about, but it is quite improbable that he will suit up for the Steelers during a regular season game.
