Le’Veon Bell Finally Says What Jets Fans Want to Hear
Le’Veon Bell‘s tenure with the New York Jets didn’t exactly get off on the right foot. He struggled to find his way in his first campaign with the franchise that created questions and rumors around his long-term future with the franchise. That hasn’t deterred him one bit from his commitment to New York as he has made a massive promise to Jets’ fan base.
Le’Veon Bell’s first season with the Jets
There was plenty of excitement heading into Le’Veon Bell’s first season with the Jets after inking a four-year, $52 million deal, but that had to be tapered a bit since he sat out the entire 2018 campaign.
Bell put forth a mostly frustrating year as he finished 23rd in the league with 789 rushing yards on a career-low 3.2 yards per carry and only four total touchdowns. Bell did tally 66 catches on 78 targets for 461 receiving yards. It wasn’t anywhere near the production level that is expected from a running back of his caliber.
That led to rumors running a muck before the trade deadline and well into the offseason as head coach Adam Gase hasn’t been his biggest fan. Meanwhile, general manager Joe Douglas has clarified on multiple instances that Bell will be with the team for the long haul.
There were plenty of contributing factors such as the Jets’ offensive line issues and him returning to the field after a year away from the game. Nonetheless, Bell had every opportunity to get back on track to produce like an elite running back. With all that in mind, it has led to Bell making a significant promise to the team’s fan base.
Le’Veon Bell’s promise to Jets fans
Amid a bit of a hectic offseason, Le’Veon Bell has maintained a level head despite the constant chatter about his New York future.
Throughout the process, he has been quite vocal over social media, as he has kept a steady dialogue with the fans. That was once again the case over the weekend as he voiced that he will put forth the best season of his career as long as he’s healthy.
“I’ll be so much better, I didn’t give nearly enough…I PROMISE YOU, long as I’m healthy, this will be the best year of my career…and it won’t be close.”
Bell’s strong words have set the bar high for himself as that would mean he would top his second year. He had 1,391 rushing yards and eight touchdowns along with 83 receptions for 854 receiving yards and three touchdowns in that campaign. Interestingly, Bell placed the caveat of him having to be healthy as he has struggled with that to an extent over his career.
The 2020 campaign should see him get back on track with an entire year under his belt after a complete season. The bulk of that will land on his shoulders to stay healthy to be a significant factor in helping the Jets finally breakthrough.
Jets’ outlook for the 2020 season
Le’Veon Bell’s statement further outlines an intriguing season for the Jets as they hope to take a significant step forward in 2020.
New York has struggled to find any level of consistency, but they managed to finish the 2019 campaign strong, winning six out of their last eight games. A large chunk of that will need Sam Darnold to take a massive step forward in his play as he’s also coming off a rough campaign that saw him miss a handful of games due to mono.
The franchise’s keys are in his hands, and if he wants to further prove that he’s the long-term future under center, it will need to him put forth a career-best campaign. The bar has been set, and with Bell being all in to push things forward, the team can make some notable strides this year.
