Jan 14, 2018; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell (26) looks on after the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Heinz Field. The Jaguars won 45-42. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
NFL: AFC Divisional Playoff-Jacksonville at Pittsburgh Steelers
PITTSBURGH — The past is never where you think you left it. Unless your name is Le’Veon Bell.
The former All-Pro running back said in a recent social media video that he wants to return to the NFL – and he hopes to play for only one team. The Pittsburgh Steelers.
“I won’t start training until like March,” Bell said, via SI.com. “And I’m gonna be honest with myself, I got to go out there and be like, I’m going to put my foot in the ground. Do I feel it? Am I hurting? Can I go out there and really play again? And bro, I’m telling you all right now when I go out there and train in March and if I hit April and I make this decision to come back to play in the NFL again, mark my words down — I will be better than I ever was. And I will only come back for that one team. You all know who it is. I don’t have to say no team. You all know who it is.”
Bell also said, “I will be better than I ever was,” which is a bold statement for a player who was twice named a Second-team All-Pro (2016 and 2017), and was a First-team All-Pro in 2014. In his prime, Bell was one of the best running backs in the league totaling 1800-plus yards from scrimmage in three of his first five seasons in the league
Unfortunately, it’s a pipe dream. He will turn 32 in two weeks, and is three years removed from playing in the NFL. One thing that is working in his favor is that he and the Steelers appear to be on good terms after what was a messy divorce.
His 2018 holdout amidst a contract dispute with the Steelers resulted in him missing a year, only for him to return in 2019 to sign a four-year, $52.5 million deal with the Jets that lasted all of one season. Bell clearly lost a step in his return and he split 2021 with the Ravens and Buccaneers, and has not played since.
It’s genuinely hard to imagine Bell signing with a team, even if he does decide to return. At best, he’d be the RB3 on a Steelers roster that has a first-rounder in Najee Harris and an emerging Jaylen Warren.
Over the last 10 years, there have been 24 backs to handle a rush attempt in their age-32 season or later. That’s ancient for NFL running backs, especially for those who haven’t played in two years and who haven’t performed at a high level in six years.
