Le'Veon Bell helped the New York Jets go 6-2 in the second half of the 2019 NFL regular season, but general manager Joe Douglas still faces a mess.
Tensions are still high following a season-concluding press conference, which saw first-year head coach Adam Gase seemingly devalue star running back Le'Veon Bell.
Joe Douglas tried to walk back the comments and reduce the discord between the head coach and running back on Monday, appearing on a local New York sports show to save face regarding the apparent animosity directed toward Le'Veon Bell.
Per ESPN Radio's “The Michael Kay Show” via Pro Football Talk:
“We value Le’Veon,” Douglas said. “We value the competitor. We value the teammate. We’re excited [for him] being in our program another year, going through our offseason again.”
Le'Veon Bell, who turns 28 years old in February, signed with the Jets in the past offseason after a sitting out a year with the Pittsburgh Steelers due to a contract dispute.
The three-time Pro-Bowler, however, inked his current four-year, $52 million deal with New York prior to Gang Green bringing in Douglas, who succeeded GM Mike Maccagnan. Le'Veon Bell had to realize that the former Jets GM left in a power struggle from the outside. That battle was eventually won by Adam Gase, who has been polarizing after one season in the books.
Le'Veon Bell rushed for 789 yards on 245 total carries during the 2019 season—both his lowest numbers since 2015—and scored three touchdowns on the ground. He also added 461 receiving yards and another score through the air.
It was a complicated season for the Jets, who looked poise to possibly reach the playoffs in franchise quarterback Sam Darnold's sophomore season, but only incrementally improved with new additions to the coaching staff, in Gase, and the backfield, in Le'Veon Bell.
The two need to repair their relationship going into the 2020 season, even if Douglas says New York “values” Le'Veon Bell.
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