Le'Veon Bell Really Wants to Beat the Jets in 2020
By Liam McKeone
Le'Veon Bell has been given a life raft and pushed away from the sinking ship that is the New York Jets in 2020. He seemed pretty pleased about this development, tweeting a praying hands emoji minutes after news broke on Tuesday that the Jets released him outright after failing to find a trade partner.
Bell's talent was evident in Pittsburgh, but he hasn't been anything near the same player as a part of Gang Green. Still, that talent was good enough that Bell is a popular man as a free agent. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that Bell is currently deciding between the Bills, Dolphins, and Chiefs as his next team.
Le’Veon Bell currently plans to sign with one of three teams, per source: Dolphins, Chiefs, Bills. Barring change, Bell will decide among these teams as early as today. Steelers reunion unlikely at this point.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 15, 2020
The selection is interesting because each team is in a different stage of development. The Dolphins are in another transitional year as Brian Flores continues to mold his squad and Tua Tagovailoa keeps the bench warm behind Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Bills are an up-and-coming contender who still have a lot to prove. The Chiefs, of course, are Super Bowl champs and favorites to defend their title, led by the best player in the NFL.
The other interesting thing about these three teams is that all of them play the Jets this season. Not only that, but they actually consist of the Jets' next three opponents.
Jets next three games: Dolphins, Bills and Chiefs. Hmm. https://t.co/mbMsOs6wGA
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) October 15, 2020
New York plays the Dolphins this week, and Bell wouldn't be able to play because of COVID protocols. I also imagine he'd want more than one practice in his new offense before jumping right in. It remains amusing, though, that Bell wants to beat Adam Gase this badly.
Bell and Gase never got along, so it's not a big surprise. And all three of these teams come with their own positives. But from the outside looking in, it seems the biggest priority for Bell was the opportunity to beat his former team. The Dolphins and Bills both play the Jets twice this year. At least with the Chiefs, he can be as close to 100 percent positive as possible that he will be a part of a beatdown of the Jets.
There are numerous other reasons he'd want to join these teams, as listed above. Miami has an extra advantage because Miami and the tax situation. But if he wants to beat the Jets, the Chiefs seem to be the best choice. If he wants to be the guy who beats the Jets, Dolphins or Bills would do him well.
But the Jets are so bad that he could close his eyes, throw a dart, and pick a team that way while still having a great chance to beat them. They really are that bad.