Le’Veon Bell Just Pulled a Kevin Durant
A star player without a ring joins a talented group of players just coming off a championship. Sound familiar? Le’Veon Bell, just released by the New York Jets, is reportedly signing with the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Bell just copied the move perfected by the NBA’s Kevin Durant.
Le’Veon Bell has struggled since his holdout
When he was with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Le’Veon Bell was a dominant running back. Or was he in the right system? Bell had three 1,000-yard seasons with the Steelers and was playing on a team dominated by superstars. In 2016, Bell rushed for 1,268 yards in 12 games. He followed that up with 1,291 yards in 15 games in 2017.
After that season, Le’Veon Bell has been invisible. That’s partly due to the fact he missed the entire 2018 season in a contract dispute. Bell held out the entire season, while James Conner took over and rushed for 973 yards in 12 games. Conner also finished with 12 touchdowns.
In 2019, Bell played for the New York Jets and had 789 yards in 15 games. He finished with three touchdowns. This season, he rushed for 74 yards in two games before being released by the lowly Jets.
Bell reportedly to sign a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs
According to ESPN, running back Le’Veon Bell is expected to sign a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. Bell reportedly told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler of his decision. A source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter the deal will be for one year.
Rumors were swirling recently about the next landing spot for the three-time Pro Bowler. It was reported that his final three destinations were the Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, and Buffalo Bills. The Chiefs play their next game Monday at the Bills, but Bell won’t be able to play. Per league protocol, Bell must go through five days of COVID-19 testing before reporting to the team.
Aside from a Week 1 stellar performance from rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the Chiefs have struggled on the ground. Since Edwards-Helaire’s 138-yard, one-touchdown performance against the Houston Texans, the Chiefs are 19th in the league in rushing. They haven’t had a rushing touchdown by a running back since the season opener.
Bell just pulled a Kevin Durant move
While the hype wasn’t nearly the same, LeVeon Bell’s signing with the Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs resembles a move by a certain NBA player who took a lot of heat for his move. When Kevin Durant became a free agent after his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the suspense was intense. Where would the superstar wind up?
At the time, Durant was a seven-time NBA All-Star and had the opportunity to play wherever he wanted. He chose to join the NBA champion Golden State Warriors, a team loaded with superstars. Durant drew much criticism for joining a winner instead of trying to put together a winner.
Bell has done the same. Although he’s not nearly the superstar Durant is, Bell is still a difference-maker. Bell may have been that missing piece the Buffalo Bills need. Instead, he went with the team favored to win it all. He joins Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce on a star-studded team. Will Bell also inherit the ‘cupcake’ nickname now?
