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 during the 2017 offseason before eventually playing under the franchise tag that year.
Bell sat out of 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 Oct. 16, 2016, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Ron Elkman/Sports Imagery/ Getty Images)
During a recent appearance on the “Steel Here” podcast, Bell recalled his decision to depart Pittsburgh. The former star running back admitted he should have accepted the Steelers’ contract offer and characterized his decision to leave as “petty.”
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“It was like a little petty, the guarantee stuff. … I’m thinking could I have just ate it? Yeah, I probably could’ve, yeah. I probably could’ve really ate it,” Bell said, via Andrew Limberg of 93.7 The Fan.
Le’Veon Bell (26) of the Pittsburgh Steelers is tripped up by Zach Cunningham (41) of the Houston Texans and Chunky Clements (96) in the second quarter at NRG Stadium Dec. 25, 2017, in Houston. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Bell was seeking a fully guaranteed contract from the Steelers at the time and went on to have a disappointing stretch with the Jets before bouncing around the NFL.
He has not played in the league since 2021, when he was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Le’Veon Bell (26) of the Pittsburgh Steelers stiff-arms Johnathan Joseph (24) of the Houston Texans in the first quarter at NRG Stadium Dec. 25, 2017, in Houston. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Despite the fact his career went downhill after he left the Steelers, he had consistently stood by his decision to request a guaranteed contract.
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However, as Bell reflected on his past during the podcast appearance, he seemed to come to the realization he should have taken the Steelers’ offer.