Kansas City Chiefs running back Le’Veon Bell is preparing for his first career Super Bowl appearance on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bell, who joined the Chiefs midseason amid a hotly contested free agent bidding frenzy that included the Miami Dolphins, will once again hit the open market this offseason at the culmination of Sunday’s game, hoping to find another big contract at a position that very rarely receives big third-contracts in NFL careers.
Bell’s third contract of his career was technically the one-year, $700k deal he signed with the Chiefs after being cut by the New York Jets earlier this season — and Le’Veon Bell came clean during Super Bowl media days yesterday about his current situation versus the potential of signing and playing for the Miami Dolphins. Bell signed in Kansas City hunting for a ring, but knowing full well he wouldn’t be featured anywhere near as much as he is now in Kansas City.
“The Dolphins were definitely in the mix, I was so torn between how much of a workload did I actually want vs. winning? At that time, (after my time) with the Jets, I was so focused on winning, I didn’t really care about how my production would look. It got so frustrating losing,” said Bell.
“I had already missed three games earlier in the season, I (was) going to miss half the games this year. I want to go somewhere where I can still have my body and still help the team win. That’s what separated the Dolphins and the Chiefs. I felt like if I went to the Dolphins, I would have done a little more. It’s hard even trying to explain it. But it was real close between the Dolphins, Bills and Chiefs.”
The Dolphins certainly would have had a bigger use for Bell than what the Chiefs have carved out — Bell has logged more than 10 carries in just 2 of the 9 games he’s played this year. So if Bell’s objective was a win and “still have (his) body”, then he made the right choice for him. But it sounds as though, based off Bell’s perspective, that there may not be a second run at Bell coming from the Dolphins — as Brian Flores has preached the value of competition and love of the game in his program. Bell’s decision to sign in Kansas City stemmed, to some degree, from not just winning but wanting to preserve himself and avoid “having done a little more” this season.
Fortunately for the Dolphins, this year’s running back market is plentiful and filled with young, hungry backs chomping at the bit to be “the man” in the backfield.
