Le'Veon Bell Won't Be a 'Locker Room Problem' in Kansas City
Once the signing of running back Le'Veon Bell was official, a common take among opponents to the addition was Bell wasn't good for locker room morale.
I've never been big on talking about a guy's character in terms of team chemistry because I don't personally know them. But since this has been pushed to the forefront, I think it's only fair we put Bell's past "issues" into perspective.
We tried to do that on today's Roughing the Kicker podcast where Arrowhead Report's Conner Christopherson and Jordan Foote joined me for our Roughing the Kicker and Unnecessary Roughness segments. This was just one of many questions we answered on the show.
The biggest mark on Bell's "character record" is his 2018 holdout. While a lot of reports came out saying he told teammates he would play and later didn't, I can't be upset at him for trying to get his money. And eventually, the holdout worked as he nabbed $30 million from the New York Jets the following year.
In his introductory press conference, the Chiefs' newest member said he couldn't resist the opportunity to be a part of the dynamic offense Kansas City had.
"When I decided to come here, I already knew the weapons, and there's only one football to kind of go around," Bell said. "I think there's going to be a lot of opportunity to kind of show what I can do in space, running routes. I think this offense is a good fit for my skill set. I think Coach Reid does a good job of getting backs the ball in space. I'm glad I've got this opportunity."
That doesn't sound like a guy that has character issues to me. While obviously, it could just be lip service, Bell's contract is very team-friendly and is loaded with incentives if the Chiefs win the AFC Championship and Super Bowl and he gets 25% playing time.
I wrote previously that Bell's move to Kansas City was more than just a football choice, it was a career choice. The change of scenery also changed the narrative of Bell's career to a guy who plays for the money to someone who wants to win and that's the Le'Veon Bell we saw in Wednesday's press conferences.
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