Le'Veon Bell Tells Jets 'Don't Hold Back' in RB's First Game Since 2017

Bell sat out the entire 2018 season due to a contract dispute with the Steelers.

Jets running back Le'Veon Bell has a key message for New York's coaches before taking the field for the first time since 2017 on Sunday: "Don't hold back."

The two-time All-Pro sat out the entire 2018 season as he awaited a new contract from the Steelers before entering free agency. Bell signed a four-year, $52.5 million deal with the Jets in March. 

"I can carry it 50 [times], if you ask me to," Bell said at the Jets' facility in Florham Park, N.J. "I'm ready. When I said, 'don't hold back,' I mean, literally, that. I don't want to go out here and try to sprinkle me in, things like that. I'm ready to play football and I've been waiting a long time for this moment."

Bell was one of the most productive running backs in the NFL in his first five seasons. The Michigan State product rushed for 1,200-plus yards in three of four seasons from 2014-17, tallying 60 total touchdowns since entering the league in 2013. 

The Jets enter 2019 looking to return to the playoffs for the first time since ’10. New York finished last in the AFC East for the third consecutive season in 2019 at 4–12. 

New York will host Buffalo on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. ET.