Le’Veon Bell and the New York Jets never seemed like a match made in heaven. He and head coach Adam Gase have clashed. The run game was a mess last year. And the trade rumors have continued to swirl.
The Jets have publicly said they want Bell to remain on the roster. Bell has publicly said he wants to be with the Jets. But this relationship may be a lost cause.
Jets could still trade Le’Veon Bell ahead of the 2020 NFL trade deadline
New York recently signed veteran running back Frank Gore. But that’s not why the Jets could ultimately still decide to trade Bell.
As he explained in his latest mailbag session, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY notes it may have everything to do with how the team performs in 2020. He noted that the Jets would not trade Bell if they are in the playoff hunt. But if they are out of it?
Vacchiano wrote that “Bell doesn’t seem to have a future with the Jets beyond this season.” He noted that the Jets selected La’Mical Perin in the fourth round and that “he could be Bell’s replacement.”
He concluded: “So sure, in October with nothing to play for, it would make sense for the Jets to deal him for anything, knowing they don’t plan to bring him back in 2021.”
One wonders if Bell would be the only top figure within the organization who could be cast aside if they have a bad 2020 campaign.