Former Chiefs and Jets running back Le’Veon Bell raised some eyebrows over the weekend with his comments about Andy Reid – and his ex-teammate wasn’t going to let it slide.
Bell had some surprisingly harsh words for the Chiefs’ head coach, commenting “I’ll never play for Andy Reid again” and “I’ll retire first” on an Instagram post. Kansas City safety Tyrann Mathieu quickly fired back at the 29-year-old running back.
“These fellas will blame everybody for their lack of success,” Mathieu said on Twitter. “That’s how I know I’m built different.”
Bell signed with the Chiefs midway through the 2020 season after he was released by the Jets less than two years into a four-year, $52.5 million contract. As the No. 2 running back behind Clyde Edwards-Helaire, he managed only 254 rushing yards and 99 receiving yards in nine games.
It’s unclear what led to a possible falling out with Reid, but once his comments started making the rounds, Bell felt the need to clarify them with a series of tweets Sunday evening.
“I said what I said & I don’t regret at all what I said…for those who have a PERSONAL PROBLEM with me because of what I SAID, that’s fine…you have your right! just understand I ALSO have MY RIGHT for how I feel about MY PERSONAL problem with dude because of what HE SAID to me,” Bell tweeted.
Bell added in a second tweet: “Never did I say I didn’t enjoy my time in KC, because I loved my time there, and was probably the closest locker room full of players I ever been around…I enjoyed my teammates, the city, food, the fans, just about everything in KC…
“I’m not about to get all into depth on why I feel the way I do, but I have my right to feel the way I feel…the ONLY thing I would change is commenting how i really felt on social media.”
Bell, a three-time Pro Bowler, remains a free agent, and has struggled since leaving the Steelers in 2018 – and holding out for a whole season over a contract dispute. In 17 games with the Jets, he averaged 3.3 yards per carry and 50.8 rushing yards per game.
In May, Bell blamed Adam Gase for his failures in New York, saying “I probably need to play for a defensive minded head coach instead of these offensive minded guru’s …”