
Browns veteran and former Purdue star wide receiver David Bell announced his retirement on Tuesday, due to an "off-field" injury that he suffered in the offseason.
"Several months ago, I was blindsided by an off-field injury that was beyond my control, which put my football future in jeopardy," Bell wrote in a social media post. "After consulting with medical experts and praying, I accept that continuing to play football would literally risk life and limb. Although it is the last thing I would otherwise want to do, with a heavy heart I am announcing my retirement."
Thank You Cleveland 🤞🏾🤎 pic.twitter.com/0Lp084Mvik
— David Bell (@DB3LL) October 14, 2025
Bell played in 32 career games in the NFL, catching 41 passes for 408 yards and three touchdowns across three seasons. He has not played this year.
At Purdue, Bell caught 232 career passes in three seasons for 2,946 yards and 21 touchdowns. He was a two-time All-Big Ten selection and was a consensus All-American selection as a junior in 2021.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Browns WR, Former Purdue Star David Bell Announces Retirement at 24.