Former Pittsburgh Steelers’ running back Le’Veon Bell was back at his old stomping grounds Friday. Returning to Pittsburgh, Bell spent time at the UPMC Sports Rooney Complex Friday afternoon, around for the team’s walkthrough practice ahead of tomorrow’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Bell was there only as a former player, not to try to restart his NFL career, even if he’s teased the idea before. But he did make a comment about seeing Mike Tomlin again. And leaving Pittsburgh in the first place. Bell made a handful of videos on Snapchat as he walked through the halls of the team facility.
“Me and Coach T, we’re still like this, bro,” Bell said, crossing his fingers to show the two were tight. “After all this time, we’re still like this.”
Moments later, Bell seemed to express regret for leaving the team in free agency.
“I was trippin’, bro. I was trippin’. Why didn’t y’all tell me not to leave?” Bell said to the camera, a message to the fanbase.
The comments were made in jest but Bell has expressed regret over how he handled his Steelers’ exit. And many fans told him not to leave. Unable to secure the contract he was looking for, Bell sat out the 2018 season and became a free agent after the year. He inked a long-term deal with the New York Jets but his career was never the same. New York dumped him less than two seasons into his contract and he bounced around the league over the next two seasons, spending time with the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In a Snapchat video this summer, Bell expressed regret over leaving Pittsburgh.
“I’m gonna say I apologize for leaving the best fans there is in this damn world. I shouldn’t have left. I apologize. I should never have left. I apologize. That’s my fault. That’s on me,” Bell said back in July.
While his football career appears to be over, it’s good to see him and the team not hold any sort of grudge or hard feelings that might have existed. He was welcomed back into the building and has had nothing but good things to say about Mike Tomlin and the Steelers since. While no longer out on the field, Bell has transitioned to the boxing ring, having several fights over the past two years and finding some success.
