Like almost everyone else on Tuesday night, Jets players were taken aback by Le’Veon Bell’s release.
Surely, Bell’s Twitter liking spree and unwillingness to speak to the media didn’t go unnoticed in the locker room, but this wasn’t the resolution that anybody expected. Breshad Perriman, who was back at practice and speaking with reporters Wednesday, said he was “kind of shocked” by Bell’s release, per SNY. He added that Bell was a “great teammate” in their short time together.
Perriman and Bell only got the chance to play about 2.5 quarters of football with one another. Bell went down with a hamstring injury in the third quarter of Week 1, while Perriman has been out with a sprained ankle since Week 2.
Chris Herndon, meanwhile, echoed Perriman’s sentiments.
“It was surprising to all of us,” Herndon said, per SNY. “At the end of the day, he was a great teammate while he was here.”
Joe Flacco, who witnessed what Bell was capable of when they were with the Ravens and Steelers, said much of the same. While they got familiar with one another as teammates over the summer, Week 5 was their first opportunity to play with another.
While it’s no fault of Flacco’s, part of the reason why Bell is no longer a member of the Jets was his lack of usage in the passing game vs. Arizona. Flacco targeted him just one time. Still, the quarterback spoke glowingly of his now-former teammate.
“Since I’ve been here, Le’Veon’s been a really hard worker, good teammate, so I think there’s always a little bit of a level of surprise,” Flacco said.
The one who seemed to take the news the hardest was Sam Darnold, who built an affectionate relationship with Bell. The two formed a unique bond, with Bell being one of Darnold’s biggest backers and supporters.
“I wish nothing but the best for Le’Veon moving forward,” Darnold said, per Newsday. “Me and him texted each other after it happened, just said that I loved playing with him, and just wished him nothing but the best.”
