It seems like football fans will have to wait a bit more to see how Le’Veon Bell looks after spending one year away from the NFL. According to New York Jets’ head coach Adam Gase, Bell won’t play in any of the team’s preseason games.
Jets considered playing Bell in at least one of their preseason games earlier in the offseason, but the season-ending injury of linebacker Avery Williamson changed everything. Williamson suffered a torn ACL in the preseason game against Atlanta Falcons and Jets decided not to take unnecessary risk.
This means that Bell will make his Jets’ debut on September 8th in Week 1 game against Buffalo Bills. This will be his first NFL game in more than 600 days.
“I understand they’re going to protect me from myself,” – said Bell after finding out he won’t be featured in the preseason. “I’m definitely ready to play. And play against people other than my teammates… and guys who don’t know our plays. It’s hard having to be patient and wait, but at the same time, I know it’s for the better good. When Week 1 comes around, I’m going to be happy out there playing. OK, now the lights are on. It’s time to go.”
Le’Veon Bell played his last game in NFL in 2017 NFL season playoffs as a member of Pittsburgh Steelers. After a contract dispute with the organization, he decided to sit out the entire 2018 season and leave the team as a free agent in 2019. Bell signed a four-year, $52.5 million contract with Jets in March.
