Former Steelers RB LeGarrett Blount Critiques Le'Veon Bell's Contract Negotiations "Bad Decision"

The Pittsburgh Steelers had their fair share of drama throughout the 2010s, especially in the back half of the decade. Star running back Le'Veon Bell was constantly in contract disputes with Pittsburgh and after refusing to sign his second franchise tag, he sat out the entire 2018 season. This was followed by Antonio Brown demanding a trade, and just like that, it was over for one of the most electrifying offenses in the league. Bell would leave the Steelers ahead of the 2019 season when he signed a large four-year, $52.5 million deal with the New York Jets.

Bell played for the Steelers for five seasons, six if you count his holdout year in 2018, and during those years, he shared the backfield in Pittsburgh with many running backs. One of those ball-carriers was LeGarrette Blount. Blount played for the Steelers in 2014, and he was on the roster for about half the season as he was released in mid November. He recently appeared on, The Money Down Podcast, where he shared his honest thoughts on Bell's holdout and contract negotiations in 2018 and 2019. 

"For Le'Veon, it was a bad decision on his part because the Jets offered him the same amount of money as the Steelers offered him, it was just a little bit more guaranteed. One or two million, don't get me wrong thats a lot of bread but if someone offers you 20 million and they trash as f**k and someone offers you 18 million and their always a playoff contender, I'm gonna stay there! That's a mistake by Le'Veon and that did hurt the running back market."

Bell's contract with the Jets gave him $27 million guaranteed along with an average salary of just over $13 million and a signing bonus of $8 million. It was more than the Steelers were willing to guarantee, but Blount insisted that Bell made the wrong decision leaving Pittsburgh. The Jets haven't had a winning season since 2015, and they haven't made the playoffs since 2010 when they lost to the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game. If Bell had cared about winning, he would have stayed with Pittsburgh.

Blount cared about winning, and he won back to back Super Bowls in 2016 and 2017 with the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. He was never touted in the same way Bell was, as Bell was one of the most dynamic players in the league due to his patient running style and his ability to effect the game in the passing game. 

Bell's time with the Jets was a failure to say the least. He had underwhelming first season in New York in 2019 despite recording over 1,000 yards from scrimmage and being an asset on the ground and through the air. He was released by the Jets in October of the 2020 season after playing in just two games, since his time in New York he has spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bell has recently expressed a desire to come back and play for the Steelers, and he has been pushing to get himself a workout with the team. 

The Steelers Pairing Blount And Bell In The Backfield Was A Bad Decision

Bell and Blount were close during their short time in Pittsburgh together, and they even got in some serious trouble together once during training camp. Ahead of the 2014 season, Bell and Blount were pulled over because there was a marijuana odor coming from the car. Bell was driving, and received a DUI for the incident and was suspended the first four games of the 2015 season and Blount was suspended the first game of the 2015 season. 

This started Blount's time in Pittsburgh off on the wrong foot. He would go on to play in just 11 games for Pittsburgh during the 2014 season, and he was released during Week 12 which was the team's bye week because he walked off the field before a game against the Tennessee Titans was officially over because he was upset he didn't get any touches. 

What do you think about Blount's criticisms about Bell's contract? Let us know in the comments below!

#SteelerNation