Jets' Le'Veon Bell Says Win vs. Steelers Had 'a Little Extra to It'
December 23, 2019
New York Jets running back Le'Veon Bell collected a 16-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, his former team, at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The 27-year-old revealed it meant more to him than a meaningless December win for a 6-9 Jets squad:
"The win felt great—obviously, every win feels great—but this one has a little extra to it," Bell told reporters. "Playing against old teammates, guys who weren't able to hit me in practice, we had an opportunity to go at it today. It was fun. There was a little extra because I played with them."
Bell showed additional love to his former teammates on Twitter:
The game also held extra meaning for Jets offensive assistant Hines Ward, who spent his entire 14-year NFL career as a Steelers receiver and was rewarded with a Gatorade bath.
Bell gave a nod to the Steelers with his pregame outfit but insisted he wasn't trying "to be petty or nothing":
Bell posted 72 rushing yards on 25 attempts, as well as four catches for 21 yards, but he hasn't found the end zone since Nov. 17.
The Michigan State product signed a four-year, $52.5 million contract with the Jets this March after holding out all last season over a contract dispute with Pittsburgh. Bell rushed for 5,336 yards and 35 touchdowns and caught 312 balls for 2,660 yards and another seven scores over five seasons in Pittsburgh, who drafted him in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft.
This season, Bell has 748 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 229 attempts across 14 games.