Did the Steelers really put in a call regarding a trade for Le’Veon Bell?

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Le’Veon Bell certainly had an odd relationship towards the end of his tenure in the Steel City. After Bell sat out the entire 2018 season, rumors swirled regarding how things went down after the date for Bell to report for work came and went last season.

Then started Bell’s time as a free agent, which ended with him taking less overall money for a contract with better guarantees to be a part of the New York Jets. Bell’s time in New York has been a lot of hype, and not a lot of production.

After a slow start to the 2019 season, Bell was reportedly on the trade block prior to the NFL trade deadline this past Tuesday. After Adam Gase made it very clear prior to the season he wasn’t happy with the contract the team gave Bell, the news of Bell being shopped around the league shouldn’t have come as a shock to anyone.

But where did all these rumors start? Bell was a part of UNINTERRUPTED’s ‘17 Weeks’ Podcast on SiriusXM/Pandora, and talked about what took place prior to the deadline. To hear the full episode click HERE.

“There was a lot of trade speculations and rumors about, you know, me getting traded obviously from the Jets to other, multiple teams. And they were actually true. There were times where – I found out from my agent, you know, he had talked to the Jets and things like that. But there were teams like Houston, the Packers, the Kansas City Chiefs, and surprisingly the Steelers, were all in the mix of trying to trade for me. And from what I heard and I understand was the Jets were really asking for a high price and a lot for me. And on top of that my actual contract was kind of tough for teams to deal with, which is understandable. Not too many teams really want to pay that high of a price for a running back. To be honest I obviously was not trying to take a pay cut simply for that fact that I sat out a full year of football to get what I felt like I earned and deserved.

“I had a conversation with the front office with the New York Jets. Joe Douglas, actually when the trade deadline was over, Joe Douglas, the general manager for the Jets, he took his time out to call me. He kind of told me that they weren’t really shopping me in a sense but teams kind of inquired about me before the trade deadline. And, you know, he was honest with me, he said he was open to it. But like I said earlier, teams were really asking for a lot and he wasn’t really trying to give me up for something he didn’t feel like would help the New York Jets in the future. And he obviously feels like I’m a player who can help turn this team around.”

Yes, you read that correctly. Bell said, via his agent, the Pittsburgh Steelers had inquired about what it would cost to get him in a trade with the Jets. And, if you are like me, you read this and sort of laughed to yourself thinking of this taking place.

On the outside chance you do believe the rumors, and think the Steelers did put in a call, see what John McClain, Texans beat writer at the Houston Chronicle, said about Bell’s remarks regarding Houston being interested.

Well then.

So, do you believe the rumors? Do you think there was any chance the Steelers actually showed interest in acquiring Bell from the Jets? And lastly, would have been on board if they would have done so?

Let us know your answers in the comment section below, but as for me I don’t buy it for a second. If anything has been known throughout the year Bell sat out, it is his agent is one to bend the truth, or make stuff up, to make his client look better.

Therefore, I never believed the Steelers ever did put in a call regarding Bell’s return to Pittsburgh. Not for one second.