Former Steelers LB Said It's Tempting To Want Le'Veon Bell, But His Success Might Be Hampered; Offers Advice Instead

Pittsburgh Steelers fans went wild when former running back Le'Veon Bell announced on Snapchat that he would like to return to professional football. He added there was one caveat, that he would only play for "that one team," clearly meaning the Steelers. Bell, who is now 31, hasn't played in the NFL since 2021. This has led to former teammates speaking out about the potential return. One of them, former Steelers linebacker Arthur Moats, weighed the positives and negatives and chose to offer Bell some advice. 

Bell's ride through Pittsburgh and the NFL was a rollercoaster. He was drafted by the Steelers in the second round in 2013 and came out of the gates hot. He had a strong rookie season, but turned it up a notch his second year, making All-Pro and the Pro Bowl. He set the franchise record for rushing yards from scrimmage with 2,215 and was named the Fed Ex Ground Player of the Year. 

He seemed unstoppable and along with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Antonio Brown, formed the "Killer B's." Everything was amazing until it wasn't. In 2018, Bell was a holdout after contract negotiations did not go his way. Then in 2019, as a free agent, he went to the New York Jets where he played two seasons. He also signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, the Baltimore Ravens, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he was never able to recreate the magic he had in Pittsburgh. 

All the negativity left a sour taste in Steelers fan's mouths. Bell has since been quite open that he made a mistake in leaving Pittsburgh, sharing his agent gave him bad advice.  

Steelers’ Le'Veon Bell Might Just Be Bored

Moats played with Bell for four seasons and currently hosts a podcast called The Arthur Moats Experience. He was asked recently about Bell returning. He said it is easy for him to get nostalgic, he knows exactly how good Bell was, but now we have to be more realistic. 

Bell said his body feels the best it ever has despite his prior arthritis diagnosis. Bell has spent his time off boxing, so he is keeping himself in good shape. However, Bell experienced a significant drop in production when he played for other teams after leaving Pittsburgh, so we have no idea how he would perform for this almost entirely new team. 

"Two years removed is not just you going to pick this thing up and just come back in it. I also think of his style of play with our current offensive line (shakes his head). He had arguably the best line in the league for that time with us. I just think that this would be a very different set of circumstances," said Moats.

Moats said that he can certainly understand why Bell is feeling the way he is, it is hard to walk away from the league. Not playing anymore leaves a huge void in your life.  

"I get it bro, when you're sitting and you're just getting further into your retirement, you go through these phases. I promise you this is normal. That's why I didn't even laugh at the scenario because I do get it. You're bored. Since you've been yay high, all you've done was work, work, work to be in the league and playing. I personally think that time has passed."

It is easy to see, according to Moats, that Bell is struggling without having football in his life. Lots of players think about making a comeback and wonder if they still have it. While Bell wouldn't be the oldest running back in the league, he is certainly pushing it, especially considering he hasn't been keeping himself “football-ready.”

The other concern Moats has about bringing Bell back is the cost. He doesn't believe Bell is going to want to come in super cheap and it is hard to imagine the Steelers setting aside Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren for a 31-year-old that hasn't played in two years. 

In addition to the cost, Moats feels like most running backs that you have sitting third on your depth chart also add value to special teams. On top of not being cheap, he doesn't think that Bell would be willing or effective at helping on special teams. 

There is another way that Moats feels that Bell could make his way back into the league if he is serious, and that's through the USL/XFL merger. The two leagues recently announced that they are merging, intending to create a kind of "spring league" where players who do not initially make NFL rosters can compete with the hopes of making it. The NFL is all about "what have you done for me lately."  

"If you really want to make a return, that's what a league like that is set up for. When you haven't seen a person play football, you don't care about what their name is, you have to physically see this dude run. Otherwise, what's the difference of just calling retired guys?"

Bell has certainly made his intentions known at the best possible time with the season just wrapping up. If he decided to go play in the XFL/USL, Moats sees him as a shoo-in. Any owner would give Bell a shot. Then if Bell performs at a high level, he will be welcomed back on an NFL team. 

What do you think about Bell returning to the Steelers or the NFL in general? Click to comment below. 

#SteelerNation