The New York Jets expected Le’Veon Bell to be the focal point of their offense when they signed him to a massive contract during the offseason, but head coach Adam Gase has not put that plan into action. Coming off a game in which Bell barely got the ball, Gase has had to work through some tension with his star running back.
Bell admitted to reporters on Thursday that he was “frustrated” with only touching the ball 12 times (nine carries and three catches) in last week’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. He said he chose not to speak with the media after the game because he didn’t want to say something he would regret, and he instead texted Gase to share his concerns.
“We had a good little talk. I want to be one of the main reasons for helping the team win,” Bell said, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “I don’t like not being used and we end up losing the game. I felt like I couldn’t help my team out.”
Bell said he would not be upset over his lack of involvement in the offensive game plan if the Jets won, but they have done that only once this year. Gase admitted to reporters that not getting Bell more touches in Jacksonville was “bad” and “on me,” and he said Friday that he has had “productive” talks with Bell since.
Despite averaging a career-low 3.2 yards per carry, Bell has done and said all the right things this season. He even maintained a positive attitude about being shopped in trade talks this week, and he’s right that the Jets need to get him more involved. Gase may not have been in favor of shelling out huge money to sign Bell, but his job as the team’s coach is to get the most out of his players. At the moment, he is not doing that. Getting Bell the ball more would be a good place to start if Gase wants to fix things.
