Le'Veon Bell is carrying grudges against the Steelers' front office, Adam Gase, and now, Andy Reid.
Maybe the former star should look himself in the mirror.
Bell's habit of throwing social media barbs is just getting sad. Four years ago, he was one of the most dynamic playmakers in the NFL. Now, he's acting like a Twitter troll, and still looking for a job as mandatory minicamps begin.
His latest outburst against Reid almost certainly won't help matters. On Saturday, Bell posted on Instagram he would rather retire than play for Reid again. Keep in mind, Reid scooped up Bell last October, following his embarrassing year-and-a-half stint with the Jets.
What a nice way to express gratitude.
Later, Bell said he wishes he kept his criticism of Reid private, but doubled down on his stance. "I'll admit that's somethin I could've and should've kept to myself & I apologize about that and that only," Bell wrote. "But I don't regret what I said, because that's how I feel."
Notably, Bell hasn't received much support from other players. Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu publicly defended his coach. "These fellas will blame everybody for their lack of success," he tweeted.
The Jets released Bell following a disastrous run, in which the three-time Pro Bowler rushed for just 863 yards in 17 games. Bell signed a four-year, $52.5 million contract, and didn't even make it to the end of his second season.
In Bell's defense, he seemingly encountered difficult circumstances in New York. It is well known that Gase was against the signing, and then proceeded to deemphasize Bell in the offense. He had more offensive touches with the 2017 Steelers than he did in 17 games with the Jets.
But then again, Bell was one of the most productive running backs in football in Pittsburgh. He failed to impress with the Jets, averaging a mere 3.2 yards per carry.
Bells' downfall began before he signed with New York, however. His decision to turn down the Steelers' 2017 extension offer cost him about $20 million in guaranteed money.
Then he sat out the 2018 campaign, forfeiting an additional $14.5 million.
That is not small change.
At 29 years old, it looks like Bell's NFL career is over. He rushed for 254 yards in nine games with the Chiefs and only caught 13 passes for 99 yards. After receiving just two carries in the AFC Divisional Round, he missed the AFC Championship due to injury, and didn't touch the ball in Super Bowl 55.
His Twitter feed reads like a man in denial. "lol so I had elite talent alllllll the way up until 2017 …… and then just [fell] off a cliff huh? Okay," he wrote.
Unfortunately, that is often how it works for running backs. Their peaks are fleeting. The goal is to cash in as much as possible.
Bell's hubris didn't allow him to do that. Maybe that's what he's really upset about.
