FLORHAM PARK, NJ – New York Jets running back Le’Veon Bell added a touch of drama to a routine squad scrum on Wednesday, using social media to question why he spent the second half on the key.
Afterward, coach Adam Gase told reporters Bell was pulled out as a precaution due to hamstring strain. The Jets suffered several soft tissue injuries at training camp, and Gase said he didn’t want to take any chances with Bell. Bell challenged Gase’s reasoning.
Minutes after Gase’s Zoom call, Bell retweeted an update about the injury to the Jets internal internet reporter, adding: “There is nothing wrong with my hamstrings.” In follow-up tweets, Bell said “it’s hard to stay loose when standing” and responded to a fan, stressing the importance of practice to his performance during the regular season.
its hard to stay loose when you do a bunch of standing around … and i’m used to GOINGGG ????????????????
– Le’Veon Bell (@LeVeonBell) Aug 26, 2020
exactly … I PRACTICE for a GAME !!! I need to PRACTICE to be awesome in GAMES !!! duh https://t.co/AcOUMBOgdt
– Le’Veon Bell (@LeVeonBell) Aug 26, 2020
The Gase-Bell relationship has been under the microscope since the Jets signed the former Pittsburgh Steelers star to a four-year, $ 52.5 million contract in March 2019, when it was reported that Gase didn’t want to. spend that much for a running back. .
In recent interviews, Bell has spoken highly of Gase – and vice versa – which made Wednesday’s development so surprising.
Bell, 28, reported camping in the best shape of his life, predicting a career year after a disappointing performance in 2019. On Wednesday he got the ball on the first two games of the scrum – and that was it .
He played the first and third sets, with Frank Gore and rookie La’Mical Perine handling the rest of the reps in the six-possession scrum. Perine, a fourth-round pick from Florida, smashed a 79-yard touchdown against the second-string defense.
Gase said Bell was the kind of player who didn’t retire even though he was high.
“That’s why we pulled him out; he won’t do it alone,” said Gase, who said last week that Bell was the best conditioned player on the team. “It will keep going out until someone else takes it off.”
Bell, the highest-paid player in the Jets, still considers himself one of the best full-backs in the league, even though he only ran for 789 yards and an average of 3.2 in 2019. He’s an element. major in the Jets’ plans, but the addition of the 37-year-old Gore, a longtime Gase favorite, added intrigue to the backfield situation.
“He looks the same as he did 12 years ago. I can’t explain it,” said Gase, who first met Gore while working as an offensive assistant for the San Francisco 49ers. “It’s amazing how, when I look at it, I go back to 2008. It looks the same. I don’t know how, it doesn’t make sense, but Frank was the one who refused to listen to what the others say.
“He’s going over there and he’s an old school football player. He looks good. His glow looks good. His vision will never change. It will be like that when he turns 60. Frank is special. There’s a reason he’s third all-time in rushing yards. “
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