Dear Le’Veon, We do not “regret” leaving you go and you were not "special" — losing a Hall of Famer like Mike Munchak was much, much worse than losing a guy without character who is averaging 50 ypg

Le'Veon the Loser

… Steelers drafted him despite character issues

I'm thinking I'm going to show everybody. I’m going to show people that, look, Pittsburgh had something special and they let it go. That's what I'm going to go out there and do.

Le’Veon Bell to USA Today prior to 2019 season

In life, we make choices, and they often affect whether aspects of that become positive or negative.

One problem with contemporary Americans is that they do not want to acknowledge the damage that mistakes can cause.

Professional athletes are often in that group.

Just like Le’Veon Bell.

In short, Bell has become a loser in almost every respect, but he is still bitter about what life has done to him — while not acknowledging his own role in his downfall.

Background

Today, Le’Veon Bell is a member of the New York Jets after playing five years for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played well for the Steelers, coming close to or over 2,000 yards rushing and receiving on three occasions.

However, this year, he has rushed for just 251 yards in five games, just over 50 yards a game. He also has just 169 yards receiving in those games.

Prior to the season, Bell had accumulated 5,336 yards on the ground and 2,660 through the air for 42 TDs.

Then, he refused to go to preseason camp for his final two years with the Steelers. He sat out all of last year, with his agent saying that though turning down $14.5 million and missing that paycheck last season, he would make it up this year.

Instead, he is now making a million dollars less this year than he was offered by the Steelers in 2018.

Bitterness

In an interview with USA Today early in September, Bell said this about his bitterness from life. Instead of thanking God for his innate ability, he said that he had a “chip on” his shoulder even when he entered the NFL. 

The reason? Because he was not drafted in the first round because many teams backed off of taking him because of his character issues in college.

The Steelers took him in the second round, taking a chance that he could outgrow those defects and perhaps mature. Did not work,

Even before I got to Pittsburgh, you always got to look somewhere to find that chip on your shoulder for motivation. So when I got to Pittsburgh, I used that from the draft. I remember all the teams that passed on me. ‘I’m going to make you regret it.’

Then I got to Pittsburgh and we had the whole contract thing that happened. It didn’t work out in Pittsburgh. I’m out of Pittsburgh. And now I’m in a new city, a new team, and a lot of people haven’t even given us a chance cause they don’t like our roster. They think we don’t have the talent.

I’m thinking I’m going to show everybody. I’m going to show people that, look, Pittsburgh had something special and they let it go. That’s what I’m going to go out there and do.

Lorenzo Reyes, “Jets RB Le’Veon Bell: Steelers had 

something special and they let it go,” USA Today, Sept. 3, 2019

The result?

Bell has learned that he should have been grateful to the Steelers — and to his maker — and should not have talked about that chip. He has learned that indeed, having a great offensive line and a top-line quarterback made him what he became in Pittsburgh.

Instead, now the Jets are having second thoughts about spending $13 million a year on a running back who has made no difference in their offense. Part of that was hurt by the injury to Sam Darnold, their starting QB, but the reality, Bell is now just another RB at the bottom of the NFL stat list.

Character matters

The first year that Bell was with the Steelers, the team discovered that they made a mistake in drafting him because of the character issues that dogged him at Michigan State.

Bell was arrested before a preseason exhibition game in his rookie season for possession and use of marijuana in an automobile. Worse, Coach Mike Tomlin demonstrated that he was going to tolerate that kind of behavior and did not bench him but used him in the game anyway.

It was another step in the slide toward mediocrity for the Steelers. Despite having a great offensive line to go along with Bell, Antonio Bell, and Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers never came close to a Super Bowl.

Character does matter …

Bigger loss?

Bell said that he was going to make the Steelers regret how they have treated him. Fat chance.

While he may point to their 2-4 record, the truth is that the bigger Steeler loss — more so than Bell, Antonio Brown, or Ben Roethlisberger — was line coach Mike Munchak, who was so sick of the drama in Pittsburgh that he took a lateral move to the Broncos.

The truth is that James Conner, who indeed does have character, would have had 1,000 yards rushing last season had he not missed more than three games because of injury. He finished with 973, and prior to his injury, his rushing and receiving numbers were better than Bell’s in his last season with the Steelers.

So, Mr. Bell, we do not miss you at all. We have a shot at the playoffs, and you will be sitting home unless the Jets decide to try and get out of this ridiculous contract with you and trade you.

Doubt that anyone would pick up that deal.