If former NFL running back Le’Veon Bell is serious about a return to the NFL and only wanting to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers, current defensive lineman Cameron Heyward would welcome Bell back to the Steel City with open arms.
After Bell went on social media over the weekend and stated that he’s preparing for an NFL return and only wants to play for Mike Tomlin and the Steelers, Heyward addressed Bell’s comments on the latest episode of his podcast, “Not Just Football with Cam Heyward” Monday morning on the ESPN platform.
“If he comes back, we would love to have him. He looked like he was in great shape last time we saw him,” Heyward said to co-host Hayden Walsh regarding a possible Bell return. “I know we got some great running backs, but he could provide some knowledge for the group, and we’ll take him from there.”
Bell’s weekend clips on his Snapchat stating he’s gearing up for an NFL return because his body feels great, and that he wants to only play for the Steelers isn’t the first time he’s made those comments. In recent months Bell has stated publicly his regret for how he handled the contract situation with the Steelers, ultimately causing him to leave the franchise where he had so much success, leading to his career going into a tailspin.
He’s also spoken glowingly about Tomlin and what he means to him as a player and a person. Bell was even in the Steelers’ facility in late December, just to say hello, but undoubtedly was trying to put the bug into the ear of the decision makers that he wants to make a comeback.
Bell said that he won’t start training until March, but this time he seems serious about his return to the gridiron, and he wants it to be in the Black and Gold.
“I won’t start training until like March. March-ish,” Bell said in his Snapchat stories. “And I’m gonna be honest with myself. I gotta go out there and be like, I’m gonna put my foot in the ground. Do I feel it? Am I hurting? Can I go out there and really play again? And bro, I’m telling y’all right now when I go out there and train in March and if I hit April and I make the decision to come back to play in the NFL again, mark my words down.
“I will be better than I ever was. Ever. And I will only come back for that one team. Y’all know who it is. I don’t gotta say no team. Y’all know who it is.”
The former All-Pro and Pro Bowl running back has not played an NFL snap since the regular season finale in 2021 against the Carolina Panthers, seeing 23 snaps in that game. Since then, Bell has been out of the league focusing on his boxing career, where he’s had some success. But feeling good physically and missing the game, Bell — just 31 years old — has his sights set on the NFL once again.
From 2013-17, Bell was a tour de force for the Steelers. He played in 62 games in that span, rushing for 5,336 yards and 35 touchdowns on 1,229 carries with the Steelers. He also added another 312 receptions for 2,660 yards and seven touchdowns in those years with the Steelers as part of the vaunted Killer B’s offensively. In that timeframe, Bell earned two First Team All-Pros and a Second Team All-Pro, and went to three Pro Bowls.
But after the 2017 season, Bell found himself locked in a contract dispute as the Steelers franchise tagged him and were ultimately unable to come to an agreement on a long-term deal. Bell then sat out the entire 2018 season before signing with the New York Jets ahead of the 2019 season, ending his time with the Steelers.
With some time having passed, Bell knows he messed up. All he wants to do is play for the Steelers again.
Though Pittsburgh appears set at the position with Najee Harris entering Year Four and coming off of three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons and Jaylen Warren set to enter Year Three coming off of a 1,000-yard all-purpose season, they could use a dependable third running back to help guard against injuries, especially under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who is going to want to run the football and be a very physical offense.
Maybe that guy is Bell. However, he doesn’t offer any special teams abilities, so it seems unlikely. But Heyward isn’t writing it off whatsoever, seeming rather open to the idea.
“I welcome anybody. I don’t really play the game where…if anybody could be my teammate, I’m always for it,” Heyward said of Bell. “As lucky as I am to be their teammate…I’m very lucky for them to be my teammate. It’s just an honor playing this game, and when you get great players playing with you, it’s special to see.”
Heyward and Bell were teammates in those five seasons in Pittsburgh. There were special moments when the two were teammates. Things might have fallen apart with Bell’s contract dispute, but players aren’t holding grudges, especially Heyward.
And if adding a player like Bell can help the Steelers out in any way, he’s all for the opportunity to do that.
