Jets' Le'Veon Bell Says He's Ready for 500 Touches After Last Season's Holdout

Having sat out the 2018 season, Le'Veon Bell is prepared to test his physical limits in his first year with the New York Jets.

Bell told reporters Thursday at the team's training camp he's prepared to register 500 touches in order to help the offense.

James Wilder owns the single-season record for total touches (492). He had 407 carries and 85 receptions for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1984.

Bell had a league-high 406 touches in 2017, running for 1,291 yards and catching 85 passes for 655 yards and two touchdowns.

There's at least one recent precedent for the three-time Pro Bowler to pick up from where he left off two years ago following an extended break that wasn't related to an injury.

Adrian Peterson appeared in only one game in 2014 after the NFL placed him on the commissioner's exempt list and ultimately suspended him for hitting his four-year-old son with a switch.

Peterson returned to the field in 2015 and led the NFL in both rushing yards (1,485) and rushing touchdowns (11).

The Jets will have to be conscious of Bell's workload, though. They signed him to a four-year, $52.5 million deal, so they need him to deliver beyond just 2019. New York also has to consider the wear and tear he has already put on his body.

Even with his season off, Bell is 10th among active players in career touches (1,541). His yards per carry fell from 4.9 in 2016 to 4.0 in 2017, which led some to question whether he's already beginning to experience the steady decline that's becoming typical for elite running backs.

Bell's comment is encouraging in that he's willing to do whatever the Jets ask of him, but it's hard to see how 500 touches would represent a positive development for him or the team.