New York Jets running back Le'Veon Bell takes on his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday 1 p.m. at MetLife Stadium.
Although some of the familiar Steelers faces from his time there incluidng star wideout Antonio Brown and injured quarterback Ben Roethlisberger won't be on the field, it's still the team Bell spent five seasons with.
He rushed for 5,336 yards and 35 touchdowns in Pittsburgh, solidifying himself as one of the top backs in the National Football League. In 2017, he had 1,291 rushing yards on 321 attempts and 85 receptions for 655 yards with 11 total touchdowns. Bell has just 676 rushing yards and three touchdowns in New York this year.
He did compile a season-high 87 rushing yards versus the Baltimore Ravens last week.
"Honestly, I don't even look at it like that," Bell said after Jets practice on Thursday. "I just go out there and play football."
He continued: "I don't regret anything that happened. I'm happy where I am today," he said. "The way things are going obviously is not ideal with the way our record is and things like that. But like I said Weeks 2 and 3 and before that, this is a stage kind of like rebuilding and to be a part of that and see it grow that's what I want to do ultimately."
Now that he'll be sporting Jets green and white instead of Steelers black and gold, Bell was asked what type of reception he would get from fans.
"I don't know, honestly. I think it would probably be 50/50," he admitted. "I think half are happy to see me and still love, and [the other] half that hate me and despise me. It is what it is. I'm going to show love regardless. Everybody that's wearing my jersey I'm going to go sign it and things like that. So it'll be fun."
Whether he wants to admit it or not, a strong performance versus his former team would bode well for both Bell and the Jets, looking to rebound following a blowout loss to Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.
