The Pittsburgh Steelers selected running back Le’Veon Bell in the second round of the 2013 draft.
He had a prolific five-year career in Pittsburgh before the Steelers and Bell reached an impasse during contract negotiations. Bell held out through the 2017 offseason before finally playing under the franchise tag that year.
Bell sat out the 2018 season and signed a 4-year, $52.5 million deal with the New York Jets before the start of the 2019 season.
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Le’Veon Bell of the Pittsburgh Steelers before a game against the Miami Dolphins on October 16, 2016 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Ron Elkman/Sports Images/Getty Images)
During a recent appearance on the «Steel Here» podcast, Bell recalled his decision to leave Pittsburgh. The former star running back admitted he should have accepted the Steelers’ contract offer and characterized his decision to leave as «mean.»
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«He was like a little petty, the guarantee stuff… I’m thinking, could he have eaten it? Yeah, he probably could have, yeah. He probably could have eaten it for real,» Bell said, via Andrew Limberg. of 93.7 The Fan.
Pittsburgh Steelers’ Le’Veon Bell (26) is tackled by Houston Texans’ Zach Cunningham (41) and Chunky Clements (96) in the second quarter at NRG Stadium on December 25, 2017 in Houston. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Bell was seeking a fully guaranteed contract from the Steelers at the time and had a disappointing stretch with the Jets before rebounding in the NFL.
He hasn’t played in the league since 2021, when he was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Le’Veon Bell (26) of the Pittsburgh Steelers gives an arm stiff to Johnathan Joseph (24) of the Houston Texans in the first quarter at NRG Stadium on December 25, 2017 in Houston. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Even though his career went downhill after leaving the Steelers, he always stood by his decision to apply for a guaranteed contract.
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However, when Bell reflected on his past during the podcast appearance, he seemed to realize that he should have accepted the Steelers’ offer.