Did the New York Jets Make a Mistake Signing Le’Veon Bell?

The first thought that ran through my head when the New York Jets elected to fire Mike Maccagnan was, “there must be going on between him and Adam Gase.”

Very rarely do you see a general manager get fired after spending $200M in free agency and working through an entire draft, but it seems as if management is siding with their new head coach. Reports quickly emerged stating that Maccagnan and Gase were rifting, or otherwise divided in their ideology for building the team.

Maccagnan was dead set on acquiring star running back Le’Veon Bell while Gase apparently wanted to use in open-cap in other ways to further bolster the depth and offensive line. However, the Jets went out and secured Bell for $52.5M over four years.

The question is:

Was signing Le’Veon Bell worth it for the New York Jets?

Right off the bat, we can say — Bell theoretically got Maccagnan fired which has put a huge thunder cloud over what seemed to be a fantastic offseason for the Jets. But what would a great offseason be without a lick of drama at the end?

Nonetheless, the Jets gained a stellar offensive playmaker that will aid second-year quarterback Sam Darnold in every facet of the game. Bell will be the best runner the Jets have had in years – a security blanket in the pass game, and a solid blocker in protection.  The money spent on Le’Veon wasn’t out of this world either. He’s only on the book for four-years with an out after two that would count just $4M in dead cap.

Jets’ ownership reportedly vetoed trade for star wide receiver due to Madden video game ratings

Unheralded Jets free-agent signing has quietly become one of the team’s best players in 2025

Could the Jets run it back with Aaron Rodgers in 2025 amidst his recent resurgence?

His contract was formed perfectly to keep the Jets safe from bad-value and extract the most potential possible. If Bell performs well, he will remain in New York for years to come — if not, he will be released after just two seasons. Basically a trial run.

I can’t imagine Gase hated this move to the degree some are reporting. It doesn’t make physical or logical sense unless Gase hates elite playmakers on beautifully constructed contracts.

So, the bottom line, Bell was certainly not a bad acquisition for the Jets, and I’d be surprised if Gase was so opposed he managed to get Maccagnan fired.