Le’veon Bell of the New York Jets appeared in an ESPN poll ranking the league’s top rushers but didn’t appear satisfied with his slot.
An appearance in a top-ten list organized by ESPN would be cause for celebration for many NFL running backs. As Le’veon Bell has proven, however, he’s not like most professional rushers.
The New York Jets starter showed up on the list organized by the network, polling 50 NFL personnel to determine the league’s top rushers. Such a list was bookended by New Yorkers, with Saquon Barkley topping the list and Bell rounding things out. The rankings premiered on ESPN’s morning talk show Get Up!.
Bell was smiling upon learning his spot…but only in the form of sarcastic laughter.
LOL! ? https://t.co/RSPQt0flRi
— Le'Veon Bell (@LeVeonBell) July 9, 2020
Bell’s reaction was mocked by some, some of whom felt the slot should’ve gone to someone else (Green Bay’s Aaron Jones was a popular proposed substitute). The second-year Jet responded by expressing hope that this season will be played and vowing to right the wrongs of 2019.
lol it’s a lot of ppl who feel the same exact way u feel…I‘m just hopin we’re able to play this year for real…u gon see ? https://t.co/D5pwap9Phh
— Le'Veon Bell (@LeVeonBell) July 9, 2020
Added to the Jets on a four-year, $52.5 million deal last offseason, Bell, 28, ran for only 789 yards last season, his lowest full-season tally since entering the league in 2013. That came after he sat out the entire 2018 season due to a contract dispute with his original employers from Pittsburgh. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler noted that Bell channeled his inner Bart Scott and texted him “can’t wait” after the Jets selected Mekhi Becton in the first round of April’s draft.
The 2020 outlook is a bit brighter for Bell after the Jets upgraded their offensive line. He currently ranks sixth amongst active NFL rushers in career yardage (6,125). The leader of that list, Frank Gore (15,347) joined the Jets as a spell option earlier this offseason.
New York is currently slated to open their season on September 13 at Buffalo.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags