Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell hinted at making a potential return to the NFL in a series of Snapchat videos on Friday. The three-time Pro Bowler said he will begin training for a comeback in March, and he is only interested in playing for the Steelers. Bell, who turns 32 on February 18, hasn't played a down in the NFL since 2021. During that season, he spent time with the Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, accumulating just 101 yards and two touchdowns on 39 carries and catching five passes for 30 yards and a score. It would be surprising if Bell does make a comeback and the Steelers are interested, but crazier things have happened, so it's a development worth slightly monitoring.
Free-agent running back Le'Veon Bell said on Tuesday that he won't play in the NFL in 2022 as he shifts his focus to boxing. Bell will be fighting against fellow star running back Adrian Peterson in Los Angeles on July 30. The fight against Peterson won't be a "one-off" deal for Bell. "This is, I guess like my introduction to kind of show what I'll be doing and how I'll be going about myself. Just an intro," Bell said. The 30-year-old last made the Pro Bowl in 2017 in his final season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, when he rushed for 1,291 yards and nine touchdowns. He had 429 rushing yards for four different teams over the last two seasons.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have waived running back Le'Veon Bell. The move was made to free up a roster spot for Leonard Fournette, who was officially activated from the injured reserve on Saturday. Bell could be brought back to the team's practice squad if he clears waivers. The 29-year-old rushed for 101 yards on 39 attempts and two touchdowns while catching five passes for 31 yards and a score over eight games for the Buccaneers/Ravens in 2021. Tampa Bay will roll with Fournette, Ronald Jones II, Ke'Shawn Vaughn, and Giovani Bernard as that team's top running backs for the playoffs.
Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Le'Veon Bell Could Split The Workload
The Athletic's Greg Auman thinks Tampa Bay Buccaneers running backs Ke'Shawn Vaughn and Le'Veon Bell could split the workload in the backfield in the Week 18 regular season finale against the Carolina Panthers with Ronald Jones II (ankle) being ruled out. If Tampa needs a third back, Kenjon Barner could be available. Giovani Bernard (hip) remains on Injured Reserve, but the Bucs could choose to activate him before Sunday's game, although given his time off, he'd be a long shot for a significant role. Vaughn saw eight carries for 31 yards and caught two passes for 14 yards last week, while Bell handled three carries for five yards and caught three passes for 30 yards. Vaughn will likely be the team's choice on early downs, while Bell could be the preferred pass-catching option this weekend.
Le'Veon Bell May Be Bucs Only Healthy Running Back
The Athletic's Greg Auman suggested that Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Le'Veon Bell may be the team's only healthy running back. Bell was the only healthy back on the final drive on Sunday in the comeback win over the New York Jets. Ronald Jones II suffered an ankle injury late in the second half on Sunday, while it's unknown what Ke'Shawn Vaughn is dealing with after Week 17 action. Bell had only three rushing attempts in the game and gained five yards, adding three catches for 30 yards. We'll have to keep a close eye on Tampa's backfield situation heading into the regular season finale, but at the very least, Vaughn and Bell are worth speculative additions if your league concludes in Week 18.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are signing running back Le'Veon Bell on Tuesday, pending a physical, according to sources. Lead running back Leonard Fournette suffered hamstring on Sunday night that has put him in danger of missing one or two games. Giovani Bernard (hip, knee) was put on Injured Reserve last week, which leaves only Ronald Jones II and Ke'Shawn Vaughn in Tampa's backfield. Jones is a must-add off the waiver wire this week, as he's in line for a huge volume increase as the team's RB1. Bell did very little in five games with the Baltimore Ravens this year, averaging an embarrassing 2.7 yards per carry on 31 rushing attempts for 83 yards and two touchdowns. He might be worth a flier in deeper leagues for depth if you roster Fournette, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect much out of Bell at this point.
The Baltimore Ravens released running back Le'Veon Bell on Tuesday, according to a source. In five games played with Baltimore, Bell was used sparingly in Baltimore's committee backfield, carrying the ball 31 times for 83 yards (2.7 yards per carry) and two touchdowns. He added one catch on three targets for minus-one yard. The 29-year-old clearly doesn't have much juice left and was never the same player after sitting out the 2018 season and then signing a big contract with the New York Jets. Bell's release could signal that Latavius Murray (ankle), who hasn't played since Week 6, could be ready to return in Week 11 against the Chicago Bears. If he misses another game, Ty'Son Williams will have a much bigger role behind Devonta Freeman.
Baltimore Ravens running back Le'Veon Bell had eight carries for 18 yards and a touchdown during the decisive win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Bell found the end zone early in the second quarter, pounding in a two-yard attempt to put his team up 14-0. Still, it was running back by committee in Week 6, as Latavius Murray, Devonta Freeman, and Lamar Jackson each had at least eight carries of their own. It's unknown if Bell will stick around in Baltimore. However, as long as he does, he does have some value in deeper formats, although his upside will likely be contingent on whether or not he scores a touchdown from week to week.
Baltimore Ravens running back Le'Veon Bell has been promoted from the practice squad ahead of Sunday's game against the Chargers. He has taken offensive snaps in just one game this season: a four-rush, 11-yard showing against the Broncos two weeks ago. Heading into Week 6, Bell will likely play behind Latavius Murray, Ty'Son Williams, and Devonta Freeman. As such, he is not relevant in fantasy leagues.
Baltimore Ravens running back Le'Veon Bell, who was recently promoted from the practice squad, finished with four carries for 11 yards during the win over the Broncos on Sunday. He also failed to bring in his lone target of the contest. Although Bell realistically wasn't expected to do much in this one, it's was still disappointing for the fantasy managers who were hoping for more. Moving ahead, the veteran will likely continue to concede touches to Latavius Murray. However, if an injury pops up for the team at some point, Bell's fantasy stock could increase enough to make him a viable starting option in deeper PPR formats.
