The Pittsburgh Steelers have a great duo at running back with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, but neither of them seems to be as talented as Le’Veon Bell was for the team. For all his faults, Bell was an unbelievable player, being named an All-Pro three times in his five seasons with the Steelers. Baltimore Ravens corner Marlon Humphrey recently had some high praise to throw Bell’s way.
On his Punch Line Podcast, Humphrey, who has been in the league since 2017, was asked which running back he faced was the hardest to tackle.
“Le’Veon Bell only because he ran me clean over,” Humphrey said. “I got mad nervous playing against him. When that [defensive end] don’t be holding that edge, I be like, please don’t let him bounce out here. He fast. [He has] this weird, you don’t really look like you running that fast. That’s why he be stiff arming people. You’d be like, ‘I got an angle.’ Then you don’t, and then you stiff armed, and then it’s bad.”
With the Steelers, Bell would have only played Humphrey during his rookie year in 2017. At that point, Bell was at the height of his powers, being a complete nightmare for defenses. He definitely left a lasting impact on Humphrey, giving him a nasty stiff arm.
In both contests against the Ravens that year, Bell was dominant. He had 192 rushing yards on 48 attempts, with 4 total rushing touchdowns. He was just as lethal in the passing game as well. He recorded 13 receptions for 119 yards and a touchdown. It makes sense that Humphrey would not have fond memories of playing against Bell.
Bell’s odd running style that Humphrey talks about is part of what made him so dangerous. At times, it almost seemed like Bell would stop behind his offensive line, but once the smallest crease opened up, he was gone. His vision and burst made him a threat on every play. It sounds like Humphrey got a taste of that firsthand.
Hearing players talk about Bell only makes it more sad how his career went. He could have helped the Steelers continue to compete for a championship, but instead, a disagreement about money caused him to leave. His career took a nosedive after that, and it seems he regrets that decision now. That’s in the past, though. There’s nothing anyone can do to change it now. We’ll see if something similar happens with Harris after this season.
