Not a whole lot was made of the Le’Veon Bell rumors leading up to the NFL trade deadline.
Bell generated some buzz in the closing hours of the league’s open trade window, as the Jets reportedly were listening to offers for nearly all of their players. Nothing came to fruition, however, as New York didn’t make a single deal by the deadline.
More details on the matter since have surfaced, though. The Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs reportedly were the most interested teams, while Bell himself revealed his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, even kicked the tires on a potential blockbuster. The star running back offered even more insight Tuesday, noting the trade rumors surrounding him weren’t just light chatter.
“Honestly, it was close,” Bell said in an interview with NBC Sports’ Mike Florio. “I, obviously, at the time was just hearing everything out and seeing how everything plays out. I obviously didn’t want to get traded, but if it did happen, I was ready and obviously was going to do what I had to do. I understand, from the Jets’ perspective, if they were trading me and got some value out of it, I would understand where they’re coming from. It’s a business, you know? Strictly business, and I understand that whole business decision thing. I didn’t take too much offense to it, so I just kind of kept my head down and once the trade deadline actually went by, I was ready to put my head down and get back to work.”
While Bell didn’t take offense to his name popping up in trade talks, the same can’t be said for his Jets teammate Jamal Adams. The star safety lashed out at the organization shortly after the deadline passed, as he felt New York’s brass went behind his back by shopping him.
It’s somewhat surprising Bell was hoping to stay in New York. All of the teams reportedly interested in trading for the three-time Pro Bowl selection ahead of the deadline are legitimate playoff contenders. The Jets, meanwhile, are bound for yet another disappointing campaign.
