The New York Jets face the Kansas City Chiefs in the most lopsided game of Week 8, which means running back Le'Veon Bell will have a tantalizing opportunity to make a statement against his former team.
Bell was released by the Jets on Oct. 13 after 17 disappointing games in New York. He averaged 3.3 yards per carry for Adam Gase's squad after signing a $52-million contract in the spring of 2019 — a deal that Gase was not a fan of. In an added twist of fun, the Jets will actually be paying Bell to play against them.
Gase voiced his displeasure with Bell's use of social media to vent his frustrations prior to being released. This season, Gase clearly favored 37-year old Frank Gore over Bell — especially after Bell injured his hamstring in Week 1.
Bell had six carries for 39 yards in his debut with the Chiefs — an average of 6.5 yards per carry.
Fresh start, feels good… ❄️ thankful to be a part of this organization. On to the next. pic.twitter.com/u1ThOf1mT8
— Le'Veon Bell (@LeVeonBell) October 26, 2020
The embattled Jets head coach downplayed the “revenge game” narrative when asked about the upcoming face-off with Bell. Gase said that he's focused on winning the game at Arrowhead Stadium (good luck with that), and he expects Bell to have a similar mindset.
“Yeah, I'm pretty sure that he's going to be worried about just winning a game, period,” said Gase said, via ESPN's Rich Cimini. “That's what most players are worried about. They're worried about, ‘Hey, what do I have to do this week to help my team win?' So, I'm sure that's what he's going to be worried about doing. We've got a lot of guys to worry about on that side of the ball against them.”
Jets QB Sam Darnold echoed those sentiments, and said he's looking forward to seeing his former teammate.
“For me, seeing Le'Veon is going to be awesome personally,” Darnold said. “Whether it's before the game or after, [he's] just someone that I built a good relationship with for the last year and just to be able to see him again, that's going to be good. But I'm not sure about anything he has against us or anything like that.”
Bell, of course, can focus on playing well and helping the Chiefs win the game — you know, as team sports usually work. The defending Super Bowl champions probably won't need to rely on any extra motivation to leave with a victory, though, as Kansas City is currently listed as 19.5-point favorites for the matchup versus the winless Jets, who rank 32nd in overall DVOA.
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