Update:
Pro Football Talk reports that the Jets officially released RB Le’Veon Bell on Wednesday, making him a free agent.
Jets GM Joe Douglas announced Tuesday that they’ve released RB Le’Veon Bell after attempting to trade him.
Statement from GM Joe Douglas pic.twitter.com/By9XevVXVv
— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 14, 2020
Bell posted the following on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/LeVeonBell/status/1316179791180070912
Adam Schefter reports that the Jets had been trying to trade Bell for weeks and as far back as last year. However, no deal ever surfaced.
Albert Breer mentioned that it sounded like New York was willing to take pennies for Bell, such as a late-round pick or end-of-roster player.
The relationship between the two sides dramatically deteriorated, with Bell frustrated with his usage by the team.
Bell, 28, is a former second-round pick of the Steelers back in 2013. He played out the final year of his four-year, $4,120,600 rookie contract, but Pittsburgh used their franchise tag on him.
The Steelers decided to franchise Bell for the second straight year, but he elected to hold out the entire 2018 season and set himself up for free agency in 2019. The Jets later signed Bell to a four-year, $52.5 million contract worth up to $61 million and including $35 million guaranteed.
Bell was set to make base salaries of $8 million and $9.5 million the next two years.
In 2020, Bell has appeared in two games for the Jets and rushed 19 times for 74 yards while catching three passes for 39 yards and no touchdowns.
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I believe Bell would have been a powerhouse had he come to terms with the Steelers, instead, he chose to throw a fit and went full-on diva right before becoming an actual household name, which is a shame, ’cause he’s not a bad player, just a bad team-mate.