The Pittsburgh Steelers Killer B’s era that saw Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell, and Ben Roethlisberger occupy the skill positions for the black and gold lasted from 2013-2017. The trio produced All-Pro selections, Pro Bowls, three division titles, and four playoff appearances in five seasons. They were the talk of the NFL and the darlings of every sports talk show in need of material.
The Steelers had a lot of regular season success, but they won three out of seven playoff games and lost in their only AFC Championship game appearance in 2016. The era ended prematurely when Bell held out for the entire 2018 season and then signed with the New York Jets in 2019, officially ending his career in Pittsburgh. Brown followed him out of town in 2019 to the then-Oakland Raiders and the Steelers saw Roethlisberger lose virtually the entire season to an elbow injury.
Bell joined Kevin Adams and Jersey Jerry on the Steel Here podcast on Friday to discuss his NFL career and his blooming second act as a boxer. Bell was open and honest about his career and when appropriate, took responsibility for short-sighted decisions. Near the end of the 90-minute podcast, the former Steelers running back dropped a bombshell.
"I feel like if I came back, if I was a feature back, I am averaging 100 a game," Bell declared. "If I am the feature back, if I am coming in and I’m the guy."
Bell’s career after leaving Pittsburgh was over in three short seasons. He played all of 2019 with the Jets who overpaid to get him and then did not bother to use him. The 2020 and 2021 seasons saw him play with four teams including the Steelers’ biggest rival the Baltimore Ravens. Bell did not officially retire and Adams asked him if his agent was making inquiries on his behalf.
“No, I haven’t been trying to get back in,” Bell confessed. “I haven’t even thought about it. I’ve been boxing, but now that we are talking football, it’s low-key spinning in the back of my mind. If I go to Miami and start training a little bit, I might have to step into an OTA. Physically, this is the best I have ever felt.”
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Bell has demonstrated that he is serious about a career in boxing and that he is still a world-class athlete. He recently made headlines for suggesting that he and Vontaze Burfict square off in the ring, but that challenge looks like it will go unanswered. Adams dug in further asking the former running back if he felt like he still had the explosive speed necessary to play in the NFL.
“I got a lot of pop, let me tell you,” Bell declared. “Go watch them right hands versus JMX. I think I need to race somebody; I have been trying to race somebody. I run a 4.4 right now. I ran a 4.5 when I was 230, I am 210.”
The stunned podcast hosts suggested that they would reach out to Art Rooney II and Omar Khan to see what they could do about getting him back on a football field. The podcasters tried to exert influence earlier in the 2023 offseason to get Taylor Lewan to come to the Steelers, but interest in the acquisition fizzled and it quickly became apparent it was a stunt by Lewan to promote his podcast.
“I never officially retired,” Bell said. “The day I do, it is going to be with Pittsburgh. Before I do that, I may be like, hey, let me get a couple of carries in the preseason, I am going to show y’all something. I wouldn’t want to come back unless I am the guy. I know I can be the guy and I know where I am at physically. I train with guys who are 24, 23, 25 years old and they are still not up to my speed.”
Adams reminded Bell that he would not be the feature back in Pittsburgh with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren on the roster as a promising running back tandem. He did, however, endorse the idea of Bell returning in the preseason for a final game with the Steelers or perhaps a flyer from a running back-hungry team for one final run in the NFL.
“That would be fire,” Bell concluded. “I might actually do that. If I did it, it would only be in Pittsburgh. I just know, I been other places. The grass is not always greener. I got to train first, but it is like riding a bike.”
Bell has not been a premiere NFL feature back in six years and he may have been snacking on South Park member berries during his appearance on the podcast. A running back having an effective season at 31 years of age is not unheard of, but returning to the field after a two-year absence from the NFL would be a tall order. The former Steelers running back is 1-1 as a professional boxer in the cruiserweight division and may be in great shape, but a full-time return to the NFL seems like a long shot.
The Steelers' postseason single-game rushing record holder has become a cautionary tale in NFL circles. Bell overestimated his market value and admits that he made mistakes by leaving the Steelers and his desire to return, even in just a preseason game is admirable and would be a great moment of closure for him and the fans. As long as he can protect himself at all times, why not?
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