Le’Veon Bell Says Steelers Were Among Teams Interested in Trading for Him

A possible Le’Veon Bell-Steelers reunion? According to the Jets’ running back, a possible deal that would have sent the former Pittsburgh star back to the Steel City was discussed ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline.

Speaking on the Uninterrupted “17 Weeks” podcast, Bell said Pittsburgh was among the many teams that inquired about trading for his services.

“I found out through my agent he had talked to the Jets and there were teams like Houston, the Packers, the Kansas City Chiefs and, surprisingly, the Steelers were all in the mix in trying to trade for me,” he said.

After sitting out all of last season in search of a new contract, Bell signed a four-year, $52.5 million deal with the Jets this past March. New York entered the 2019-20 season looking to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2010, but has gotten off to a 1-6 start.

Bell’s tallied only 536 total scrimmage yards, two touchdowns and 3.8 yards per touch through his brief tenure with Gang Green, but nevertheless said that New York had a high asking price for his services.

“Not too many teams really want to pay that high of a price for a running back,” the three-time All-Pro said. “To be honest I obviously was not trying to take a pay cut simply for the fact that I sat out a year of football to get what I feel like I earned and deserved.”

According to the MMQB's Albert Breer, Bell's market was in fact limited largely because of the $13.5 million he's due in 2020, most of which is guaranteed.

There’s been no indication from the Steelers’ side about re-acquiring Bell’s services, though running backs James Conner and Benny Snell Jr. sustained injuries during the team’s Monday Night Football victory over the Dolphins last week.

Instead of a reunion, however, Bell will still be in a Jets uniform when New York travels to Miami this weekend. Kickoff at Hard Rock Stadium is set for 1 p.m. ET.