If the Pittsburgh Steelers really did make a push to acquire New York Jets running back Le'Veon Bell at the trade deadline, head coach Mike Tomlin did not know about it.
Bell said that he was told the Steelers were one of four teams who inquired about him ahead of the Oct. 29 deadline, but when Tomlin was asked about if Pittsburgh did, in fact, try to bring back its former halfback, he said “not to my knowledge, no,” per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk.
Of course, Bell spent the first six years of his NFL career with the Steelers but sat out all of 2018 due to a contract dispute with the club, marking the second straight year that Bell and Pittsburgh's front office were at odds.
In 2017, Bell held out through Week 1, but eventually returned in Week 2 and played the rest of the season, racking up 1,291 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground while hauling in 85 receptions for 655 yards and a couple of scores en route to a Pro Bowl appearance and a First-Team All-Pro selection.
This past offseason, Bell went on to sign a four-year deal with the Jets, but his first season in the Big Apple has been an unmitigated disaster.
Through eight games, the 27-year-old has totaled just 415 yards and one score, logging a meager 3.3 yards per attempt while catching 40 passes for 242 yards and a touchdown.
The Jets have gone 1-7 during that time, most recently losing to the lowly Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Steelers have won four of their last five games to improve to 4-4.
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