The Miami Dolphins tried to land Le’Veon Bell when he was released by the New York Jets during the 2020 season. Would the Dolphins have one more game with a more polished running back? Maybe, but did Bell want the workload Miami was offering?
Ultimately, Bell opted to join the Chiefs. He told members of the media today during Super Bowl press conferences that he was “tired of losing with the Jets”. At first that may seem like a knock on the Dolphins and that choosing the Chiefs meant he would be on a winning franchise. It worked out well for him if that was his plan because he has a shot at a Super Bowl ring.
In Miami, he would likely have been a featured back or at the very least splitting series with Myles Gaskin but according to Adam Beasly of the Miami Herald, he may not have wanted the workload.
Le'Veon Bell just told us that he was deciding between the Chiefs, Dolphins and Bills but suggested that the Dolphins might have given him more carries than he was ready for in 2020.
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) February 2, 2021
It’s probably a good thing that the Dolphins didn’t get Bell if he didn’t want the workload. In Kansas City, Bell played nine games after his release from New York. He carried the ball only 63 times, an average of only seven carries per game. He had only two games with K.C. that he carried more than ten times in a game.
Versatility has always been Bell’s value but in K.C., he only caught the ball 13 times.
Le’Veon Bell didn’t get a big workload this year and if that was by his own choice, then it was a good thing he headed to the Chiefs. He walked on to a Super Bowl team. There is nothing wrong with his decision and in no way am I calling him out for anything. I’m actually glad that he recognized that he didn’t need or want a larger workload. Miami could have been paying for a player that really wasn’t ready to be more featured.