Le'Veon Bell makes admission on NFL future

After running back Leonard Fournette suffered a hamstring injury in the New Orleans Saints 9-0 manhandling of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay was in the market for another running back. So they turned to “retired” running back Le’Veon Bell, who recently flirted with a boxing career.

Bell spoke today about whether or not he seriously considered retirement from the game of football:

“Yeah, I was going to be done. I was at the point where I wasn’t really going to play football. I was going to focus on boxing. Once you get that phone call–it was like, ‘Oh yes, this is it.’

It’ll be interesting to see what kind of production Bell can produce with Tom Brady pushing him to be his very best. He’s clearly not what he used to be when he was one of the best running backs in the league with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now that he’s suiting up beside one of the greatest to ever do it, it’ll be interesting to see what Brady can get out of him.

Bell chasing after the idea of boxing Jake Paul was certainly a career shift. It seems like anybody who’s anybody all of a sudden thinks they are a professional boxer nowadays. Bell joined that club when he recently challenged the former YouTuber turned amateur boxer.

It makes a bit more sense as a career path for Bell to come out of retirement with the chance of chasing after a potential Super Bowl ring with Tom Brady, and his former Steeler teammate, Antonio Brown.

The Bucs and especially Tom Brady are hoping they don’t face the New Orleans Saints in the upcoming playoffs. Saints’ defensive coordinator Dennis Allen likely haunts Tom Brady’s dreams. His defenses have consistently given Brady problems since he got to Tampa Bay last season. Sunday night was only the third time in Brady’s storied NFL career that he’d been shut out.

Lev Bell’s best game with the Ravens in 2021 was one in which he had 11 carries for 47 yards and a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings. The Bucs will be hoping for much better production than that from the former Steeler great. Time will tell if they can get it out of him.

Once Fournette returns from his injury, Bell will likely head to the bench.

The Tampa Bay Bucs will face the Carolina Panthers on Dec. 26. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. ET from Charlotte, North Carolina.