Report: Jets may prefer Tevin Coleman to Le’Veon Bell

The New York Jets have a ton of salary cap space this offseason and are in the market for a running back, so it’s only natural that they are considered one of the favorites to sign Le’Veon Bell. However, it’s possible that the former Pittsburgh Steelers star isn’t their top choice at the position.

Connor Hughes of The Athletic was told by a source that the Jets like former Atlanta Falcons running back Tevin Coleman more than they like Bell, mainly because Coleman has seen far less usage than Bell during his career. Coleman is 25 and received 620 career touches during his four seasons in Atlanta. Bell is 27, just took a year off from football, and touched the ball 1,541 times in the five seasons he played with the Steelers.

Bell also has some off-field concerns, so the Jets could prefer to sign a player like Coleman rather than giving Bell a potentially record-breaking contract for a running back. Hughes has been led to believe that New York will sign one or the other and will not miss out on both players.

This is not the first time we have heard a report this offseason that the Jets do not want to write Bell a blank check, and the same will likely be true of a lot of teams. While there’s no denying the impact Bell can have, his salary demands could be unrealistic.