Chris Bell's Message to NFL Teams: 'Don't Let This Injury Fool You'

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - As far as the pre-draft process goes, nothing is busier than the NFL Scouting Combine.

This week, hundreds of prospects from the collegiate level descend upon Indianapolis for what is nothing short of a gauntlet. Interviews with a myriad of front office executives. Media scrums with hundreds of both local and national media. Then of course, the testing drills such as the 40-Yard Dash and Broad Jump, all of which can make or break your draft stock.

Chris Bell was one of the lucky 319 prospects that were fortunate enough to be invited to this year's combine. He's one of two players from Louisville to get an invite this year, with fellow wide receiver Caullin Lacy joining him.

However, Bell will not get to take part in the on-field workouts portion of the combine - something he undoubtedly would have shined in given his supremely athletic nature. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound receiver is three months from surgery from a torn ACL, suffering the injury in the Cardinals' penultimate game of the regular season at SMU.

Instead, Bell's time at the combine has been relegated to meetings with scouts, general managers, and other front office executive for. NFL franchises. Naturally, questions about his injury have been a massive topic of discussion in these meetings.

What has Bell's response been to these question? Don't count me out.

"Don't let this injury fool you," Bell said Friday during his Combine media interview session when asked what his message to teams has been regarding his injury. "I'm still that dog. I'm still that guy. I'm still that beast that you see on the field. Just give me time, and I'll be back right."

Bell's play certainly speaks for itself. Despite missing the final two games of his senior season, he had a fantastic final season at the college level. He logged 72 receptions for 917 yards and six touchdowns, earning First-Team All-ACC Honors, and also being a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award.

Bell made steady improvements each year in college. Starting all 13 games in 2024, the Yazoo City, Miss. native caught 43 passes for 737 yards and four touchdowns, all of which were second on the team to Ja'Corey Brooks. 2023 was his breakout season, one where he caught 29 passes for 407 yards and two scores.

"Louisville shaped me real well," Bell said of his time at UofL and how it made him who he is today. "It brought the mental part out of me. It brought a man out of me. Just going through all those different challenges and different battles, from just being a number two guy or number three guy, to potentially working my way up to being the number one guy. It brought a lot out out of me."

In his collegiate career, all of which was been spent at Louisville, Bell has 151 receptions for 2,166 yards and 12 touchdowns. The reception total is good for 12th all-time program history, while the yardage total comes in at 13th.

It also helps that Bell appears to be on schedule, and maybe even ahead of schedule. Not only is he freely walking around, he said that he will also start running next. Dr. Dan Cooper, who performed his surgery in Dallas, told Bell that he should "potentially return by training camp."

"I feel pretty good," Bell said. "Still got to get the strength back in my quad and my hammy and things like that, but I'm feeling pretty good. I feel confident. I'm getting my confidence back day by day."

While things are trending in the right direction now, an injury such as this certainly carries a mental burden as well as a physical one. Previously, Bell was trending towards potentially being Louisville's next first round NFL Draft pick. Since the injury, Bell has been routinely projected as an early day two pick.

Between having your final two games in college robbed, and potentially losing millions in slot value because of a freak injury, the mental aspect has certainly been a heavy weight for Bell. But it's one that he hasn't carried alone.

"Just trying to keep my close ones in my circle to help me get through this hard time in my life," Bell said when asked about the mental health aspect of his injury. "I wouldn't say it's hard, I feel like God has a plan, but just keeping my family and friends around me to keep me comfortable and keep me in a good spirit.

In a way, the injury also served a purpose in his life. Between the recognition and NIL potential that comes with being one of the top wide receivers in college football, life was operating at a breakneak pace for Bell. But over the last few months since tearing his ACL, life forced him to slow down, which in turn helped him re-evaluate himself as a player and person.

"It taught me a lot," he said. "Just being at Louisville and my senior year, just having all that fame and all that stuff come my way, I feel like I was moving fast a little bit. It kind of like made me slow down a little bit, and just figure out who I am, and just get back close to God."

The NFL Scouting Combine officially wraps up this weekend, and the 2026 NFL Draft is scheduled for Apr. 23-25 in Pittsburgh.

More Cardinals Stories