Le'Veon Bell Rips Adam Gase, Says Ex-Jets HC Was 'Confusing' Sam Darnold

Few will remember Adam Gase's tenure as New York Jets head coach fondly. Count Le'Veon Bell among that group.

In an interview on the Steel Here podcast (via Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today), Bell contrasted Gase with Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and said the latter would've at least gotten the seven-win Jets to a winning record in 2019.

"Bro, we get to New York, and that's when you instantly find out that head coaches make a huge difference," he said. "... It's to the point where (then-Jets quarterback) Sam Darnold don't even know like the actual line's protections because he's so confused about our offense because the coach is confusing him."

Midway through the 2020 season, Gase admitted he wasn't helping to further Darnold's development. That would be the 2018 first-round pick's last season with the team, which decided to pivot to Zach Wilson during the 2021 offseason as the next QB of the future.

Five-time Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil, who spent one year in New York in 2019, was similarly critical of Gase and the offensive scheme. He told The Athletic's Joseph Person in 2021 that Gase's system "didn't allow a lot of individual freedom," which hindered Darnold.

"It wasn't a system that allowed him to evolve and make decisions on his own," Kalil said. "I think that was the hardest thing. And I think that's why ultimately the Jets made some (coaching) changes, too."

Darnold was unable to get his career back on track with the Carolina Panthers, but he could be set up for success on his current team. The San Francisco 49ers are the ideal setting for a reclamation project.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported in April how some teams "believe that that Darnold signing is sneaky significant" since he might thrive under head coach Kyle Shanahan.

If only the 25-year-old had found his way to the Bay Area earlier in his career.