Le’Veon Bell already has one game in 2019 circled on his calendar.
Bell spent five seasons with Pittsburgh and was beloved by Steelers fans. However, after sitting out last season due to a contract dispute, Bell joined the Jets and is already looking forward to playing against his old team.
The Jets and Steelers will square off Dec. 22 when New York hosts Pittsburgh for a Week 16 matchup.
The 27-year-old Bell was one of the best backs in the league when he was with the Steelers. He rushed for over 1,000 yards three times and was First-Team All-Pro twice. In addition, he made the Pro Bowl three times.
But Bell decided to sit out last season because he didn’t want to play under the franchise tag. He wanted to preserve his body in order to land a long-term deal in free agency this past offseason. Well, he did just that, but not with the Steelers. Bell signed a four-year deal with the Jets worth $52.5 million with $35 million guaranteed.
New York was in need of a playmaker out of the backfield. The Jets had difficulty establishing the run last season and it put too much pressure on Sam Darnold. Bell should take some of that pressure off of Darnold and also be a security blanket as a receiver.
With this being a Week 16 matchup, all you can hope for is that the Jets are playing meaningful football. If both teams are out of playoff contention, it takes some of the spice out of Bell’s revenge game against the Steelers.
