The former New York Jets running back has reportedly narrowed down his signing choices to two teams
The marriage between the New York Jets and running back Le’Veon Bell was doomed from the start. Mike Maccagnan, the Jets’ lame duck general manager at the start of the 2019 league year, gave Bell a $52.5 million contract, much to the chagrin of head coach Adam Gase. Bell was shown the door on Tuesday. The new game in the NFL is to guess where the veteran rusher will sign, which was reportedly down to three teams. Now, the list has dwindled to two.
According to Nate Taylor and Josh Tolentino of The Athletic, Bell has narrowed his destinations to the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs. Essentially, its money versus a championship.
The Buffalo Bills lose out on Le’Veon Bell
Earlier on Thursday, reports indicated that the Buffalo Bills were on the shortlist to sign Bell. Bills head coach Sean McDermott confirmed that the team was looking into the Jets running back’s services. Based off this latest update, the Bills have already lost out.
The Dolphins are a logical destination for Bell, since he lives in South Florida and trains there during the offseason. Miami’s rushing offense could use a boost, as free agent acquisition Jordan Howard hasn’t worked out through the first four weeks of this NFL season. Howard has accumulated 14 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries, and was a healthy scratch this past weekend against the San Francisco 49ers. Bell could be a perfect complement for feature back Myles Gaskin, who recorded 249 rushing yards and one touchdown on 64 carries, while catching 23 passes for 147 yards.
While Miami would fork over the money to Bell, he could opt to join the Chiefs if he wants to pursue that ever-elusive Lombardi Trophy. Yes, Bell would take away snaps from star rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire, but he would thrive in Andy Reid and Eric Bieniemy’s offensive system. Plus, he gets to play with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Did we mention Bell stands a great chance of winning a Super Bowl with the Chiefs? Because that sounds pretty important selling point for Kansas City.
A decision by Bell could arrive in the coming hours, but considering he has to clear COVID-19 protocol, he won’t debut with his new team until Week 7.