Le'Veon Bell: Steelers, Packers, Chiefs, Texans Called Jets Amid Trade Rumors

New York Jets running back Le'Veon Bell went on Uninterrupted's 17 Weeks podcast (h/t Brian Costello of the New York Post) and said numerous teams were looking into acquiring him prior to the Tuesday trade deadline, including the Pittsburgh Steelers:

Bell, who the Steelers drafted in 2013 before he signed with New York in 2019 following a lengthy salary dispute with Pittsburgh, was reportedly on the trading block this season as part of a larger fire-sale effort by the Jets.   

Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv reported New York was "willing to listen to offers on everyone except for Sam Darnold and Quinnen Williams." Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News specifically mentioned the Jets were looking to deal Bell.

Bell also mentioned the Houston Texans, Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs as teams that looked into landing him.

The 1-6 Jets are likely headed for a ninth straight playoff-less year. They are also under new leadership with general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Adam Gase calling the shots.

Douglas was brought into Jets headquarters in June after the firing of ex-general manager Mike Maccagnan, who reportedly butted heads with Gase soon after the coach's hiring, per ESPN's Rich Cimini.

The new general manager now has a team he inherited following the 2019 free-agency and draft periods. While Douglas did note in a post-deadline press conference that there wasn't a "fire sale," he did reveal that he was in talks with numerous teams about unnamed players.

"There was no fire sale,” Douglas said. "There's no garage sale going on with these players. We value these guys a lot. And, ultimately, the offers we received for these players didn't equal the value that we have for them."

News and rumors swirled about a handful of Jets, including safety Jamal Adams and wideout Robby Anderson.

Adams, a Pro Bowler, even went so far as to say Douglas "went behind [his] back" to look into deals with other teams after the safety said he wanted to stay a Jet:

Adams and Anderson are still Jets after the deadline, but Douglas did trade defensive lineman Leonard Williams to the New York Giants.

The Jets will next visit the winless Miami Dolphins on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.