Former Pittsburgh Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell might be one of the biggest “What ifs” in recent Steelers memory. Bell was a first-team All-Pro in two of his first five years, second-team All-Pro another year, and made three Pro Bowls.
And every Steelers fan knows what happened next. Unhappy with his contract, Bell sat out the 2018 season after scoring 11 total touchdowns in 2017. The Steelers and Bell were unable to come to an agreement, and Bell joined the New York Jets as a free agent in 2019. And Bell was never the same.
But those first five seasons were special. His former teammate, Steelers DL Cam Heyward, was so impressed by Bell’s play that he named Bell one of the top five running backs he has ever seen or played against.
“I think with Le’Veon, he kind of changed the game,” Heyward said Thursday on his Not Just Football podcast. “Because you didn’t have a lot of running backs besides Marshall Faulk. you watch Le’Veon, he was the most patient runner at all times and kind of made room for what No. 3 [Christian McCaffrey] is.”
And Heyward isn’t the only current Steelers player who rates Bell highly. LB Elandon Roberts called Bell “the most difficult back I went against” for the same exact reason Heyward rates him so highly: his patience.
It’s an odd trait to highlight in a vacuum. The vast majority of the time, we want running backs to be decisive. We want them to hit the hole hard and get going north and south. Bell didn’t do that. He would sit patiently behind his offensive line, waiting for the right hole to open before bursting through.
But Bell wasn’t just patient. He had the ability to make sudden cuts that left defenders grasping at air as he glided past. That’s exactly what he did in this run against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Remember this run by Le’Veon Bell with Maurkice Pouncey getting out in front? #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/n3QOE8LiNo
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) May 29, 2023
Bell was a threat out of the backfield as well, making him a complete back like the back Heyward mentioned, Marshall Faulk. During Bell’s five years with the Steelers, he averaged 4.3 yards per carry and had 35 rushing touchdowns. He also put up 8.5 yards per catch and had seven receiving touchdowns. In total, he had 7,996 combined rushing and receiving yards in those five seasons.
It’s a shame just how Le’Veon Bell’s time in Pittsburgh ended. But there’s no denying just how special he was during that time.
