Le'Veon Bell. Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Le'Veon Bell takes shot at former HC Adam Gase

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 1/5/23

After leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019, Le'Veon Bell's career took a nosedive, and nearly four years later, the All-Pro still lays some of the blame on former New York Jets head coach Adam Gase.

On Wednesday, Bell took a dig at Gase, responding to a comment on Twitter saying he wasn't elite once he joined the Jets.

"I was a better player," Bell Tweeted. "It's just hard to get off when Adam Gase is your coach calling dives on 1st and 10."

I was a better player … it's just hard to get off when Adam Gase is your coach calling dives on 1st & 10 … he had dives in his first 10 plays https://t.co/xzhmz9tzyj
— Le'Veon Bell (@LeVeonBell) January 5, 2023

After five years and three Pro Bowls with the Steelers, Bell refused to sign the franchise tag, sitting out the entire 2018 season before being granted free agency in March 2019. Bell signed a four-year, $52.2 million contract with the Jets but played only 17 games over parts of two seasons.

Once Bell strapped on a Jets' helmet, his numbers and usage took a significant dive. Bell averaged 4.3 yards per carry off 19.8 attempts per game in five seasons in Pittsburgh. However, those numbers dropped to 3.3 yards off 15.5 carries per game under Gase in New York. Predictably, Bell's big games also declined. After rushing for 100 or more yards 18 times with the Steelers, Bell failed to eclipse the century mark with the Jets.

Bell has criticized the Jets and Gase before. Back in May 2021, Bell shared a familiar complaint on Twitter.

"I don't consider a 'HB dive' on 3rd and short [or] 4th and short EVERY TIME is an opportunity ...we line up and they callin out the play, that's not opportunity," Bell Tweeted via the New York Post.

Bell, 30, last played in the NFL in 2021, suiting up in eight games for the Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Meanwhile, the 44-year-old Gase hasn't coached in the NFL since the Jets fired him after a 2-14 finish in 2020.

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