After missing an entire season due to a holdout, the New York Jets were able to land running back Le'Veon Bell. Bell is considered to be one of the best RBs in the league but unfortunately, he plays for a team that hasn't allowed him to do very much this season. Despite these struggles, Bell has stood firm on the idea that he still wants to play in New York and is more than happy to tough it out with the Jets. Oddly enough, the Jets didn't seem to care as they attempted to trade him at the deadline.
While speaking to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Bell admitted that he was very close to being traded and that the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans, and Green Bay Packers were the most active suitors.
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“Honestly, it was close,” Bell said. “I mean, obviously, it was at the time just hearing everything out and seeing how it plays out. Obviously, I didn’t want to get traded but if it did happen I was ready and I would do what I had to do but, yeah, I just understand from the Jets perspective if they were to trade me and they got some value out of it, I understand where they’re coming from.
What's interesting here is that the Steelers were looking to get Bell back. It's clear that they were okay with the contract he signed in New York and would have been more than willing to put pride aside and bring him back on board.