Le'Veon Bell Eyes Jake Paul Boxing Fight Once 'The Problem Child' Recovers from Jaw Injury

Former NFL running back Le'Veon Bell threw his name into the mix this week as a potential future opponent for social media star and boxer Jake Paul.

Speaking to TMZ Sports at a promotional event ahead of this weekend's Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano MMA fight under the banner of Paul's Most Valuable Promotions, Bell made it clear that he would love the opportunity to box Paul.

"Yeah, I'd fight Jake," Bell said. ... "I think Jake would be more of a match [for me].

"Jake, he's still recovering from his broken jaw or whatever. I got nothing but respect for Jake. I think Jake done did everything. This event right here was crazy. Shout out to Jake. If Jake wants to get in the ring with me when he gets back from recovery, yeah, I'm down. I'm down."

Paul suffered a broken jaw during his December loss to former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, and he required a pair of surgeries to fix it.

Since breaking into professional boxing in 2020, Paul has compiled an impressive 12-2 record with wins over several former MMA stars, as well as heavyweight boxing legend Mike Tyson.

Paul's level of competition has often been criticized, but he did step up to face the 36-year-old Joshua in what was by far the toughest bout of his career.

One can only assume Paul would like to get back in the win column if and when he returns to the ring, but the criticism would likely return if he takes such a significant step down in competition from Joshua to Bell.

Bell is best known for his eight seasons as an NFL running back with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which saw him earn three Pro Bowl nods and two First Team All-Pro selections.

He has also dabbled in boxing, winning exhibition fights over fellow former NFL running back Adrian Peterson and comedian Supa Hot Fire.

Bell has also fought three times professionally, losing to former UFC star Uriah Hall before beating YouTuber JMX and boxer Tristan Hamm.

In March, Bell answered a challenge from Paul's brother, WWE Superstar Logan Paul, who expressed a willingness to box any current or former NFL player:

However, Logan later said higher-ups at WWE told him he would not be permitted to box an NFL player, so it never came to fruition:

Logan has some boxing experience in his own right, including an exhibition against Floyd Mayweather Jr., but Jake would likely be a far tougher matchup for Bell.

While a Jake Paul vs. Bell fight would perhaps drum up some publicity, it may be tough for Paul to go back to fighting athletes from other sports after his recent bouts against legitimate boxers.