In a boxing match featuring two former star NFL running backs, Le’Veon Bell got the better of Adrian Peterson, rocking him with a hard right hand to score a TKO victory in the fifth round Saturday night at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles.
Bell and Peterson were the two biggest names on the card, which was dubbed “Social Gloves: No More Talk.”
After four sluggish rounds in their five-round exhibition, Bell dropped Peterson in the fifth with a straight right that caught him flush on the chin. Peterson was wobbly as he got back to his feet, forcing the referee to stop the bout as Peterson swayed from side to side.
Peterson knocked Bell down earlier in the fight, but it a was mostly uneventful affair until Bell’s decisive blow in the fifth.
“I appreciate everybody’s love and support, for real,” Bell, the former Pittsburgh Steelers star, said after the fight. “That’s really what kept me going. Honestly, all the hate … that motivates me.”
Bell, 30, reiterated his plans to pursue a career in boxing, stating he has put football behind him.
Before Saturday’s event, Bell, who played in eight games total last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baltimore Ravens, said he wanted to become a star in the ring after a standout career on the football field.
Peterson, who is fifth on the NFL’s all-time list with 14,918 career rushing yards, played a total of four games in 2021 with the Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks. Like Bell, Peterson, 37, has not officially retired. Peterson said he has always been a fan of boxing and that he accepted the opportunity to have fun and stay in shape for a potential return to the NFL.
The card was headlined by YouTube star Austin McBroom, a former college basketball player who has 6.4 million followers on Instagram. And Nick Young, the former NBA standout also known as Swaggy P, faced social media influencer Minikon.
The Buccaneers suffered multiple losses in their shutout defeat at the hands of the Saints on Sunday, with running back Leonard Fournette and wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans all exiting with injuries. Now, they’ve reinforced at least one of those positions, signing veteran running back Le’Veon Bell on Tuesday, according to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.
Bell, who appeared in five games for the Ravens earlier this year, will join Tampa Bay ahead of its Week 16 game against the Panthers, pending a physical. Fournette, who has been productive as the team’s clear-cut No. 1 this year, is expected back for the playoffs but is set to miss each of the Bucs’ final three regular-season games with a hamstring issue, per ESPN. With backup Giovani Bernard already on injured reserve with a hip ailment, Bell provides insurance behind former starter Ronald Jones II.
Widely considered one of the top backs in the game at the height of his Steelers career (2013-2018), the 29-year-old Bell has found far more mixed results since leaving Pittsburgh. The former Pro Bowler struggled as a starter in one and a half seasons with the Jets before finishing 2020 as rotational relief with the Chiefs. After spending the entire offseason on the free agent market, Bell signed with the Ravens in September after injuries decimated Baltimore’s backfield, totaling just 83 yards on 31 carries behind fellow veterans Devonta Freeman and Latavius Murray.
Bell figures to slot in as the Buccaneers’ No. 3 back as early as Week 16, behind Jones and second-year back Ke’Shawn Vaughn.
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Former Pro Bowl running back Le’Veon Bell was released by the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday after struggling in five games with the team, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Bell will be subject to waivers and will become a free agent if he goes unclaimed by another team.
Bell alluded to his release on Twitter: “This hurts but it’s been a blessing to be here to say the least. I’ve enjoyed every second of this short period and gotta whole new meaning of what this city is like & it’s a great place to be. I appreciate Eric [DeCosta, Ravens GM] & John Harbaugh for the opportunity to be called [a] Raven.”
this hurts, but it’s been a blessing to be here to say the least, i’ve enjoyed every second of this short period & gotta whole new meaning of what this city is like & it’s a great place to be 🖤💜 I appreciate Eric Decasta & John Harbaugh for the opportunity to be called an Raven pic.twitter.com/428poGYsNO
— Le’Veon Bell (@LeVeonBell) November 16, 2021
Bell, 29, didn’t show much of a burst in Baltimore, averaging a career-worst 2.7 yards per carry (83 yards on 31 attempts). He scored two touchdowns.
The Ravens signed Bell to their practice squad on Sept. 7 to help their injury-filled backfield. Bell never played more than a reserve role for Baltimore, running behind Latavius Murray and Devonta Freeman on the depth chart.
Bell’s best game was Week 9 against the Minnesota Vikings, when he produced 48 yards rushing. But he never totaled more than 18 yards rushing in his other four appearances.
By cutting Bell, the Ravens are left with three running backs on the 53-man roster (Murray, Freeman and Ty’Son Williams) and another on the practice squad (Nate McCrary). After losing its top two backs (J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards) to season-ending injuries before the start of the regular season, Baltimore has had trouble getting consistent production from its backfield. The Ravens’ running backs have combined for 705 yards rushing, which ranks 23rd in the NFL.
For Bell, it’s unknown whether this marks the end of his eight-year NFL career. In his first five seasons (all with the Pittsburgh Steelers), Bell was one of the most prolific and versatile backs in the league, totaling 5,282 yards (third among all NFL running backs). After sitting out the 2018 season over a contract dispute, he never reached the same statistical heights and managed 1,193 yards combined over the past three seasons (40th among running backs).
A second-round pick by the Steelers in 2013, Bell made the Pro Bowl in three of his five seasons in Pittsburgh. But he’s been a journeyman ever since, bouncing around three teams (the New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs and Ravens) over the past three seasons.
The running back posted a goodbye message to social media on Tuesday, which was followed by multiple reports of his release from the club.
“This hurts, but it’s been a blessing to be here to say the least, I’ve enjoyed every second of this short period & gotta whole new meaning of what this city is like & it’s a great place to be,” Bell posted to Twitter. “I appreciate Eric [DeCosta] & John Harbaugh for the opportunity to be called [a] Raven.”
The Ravens signed Bell after a string of injuries to their running backs room. He appeared in five games this season, amassing 83 yards on 31 carries with a pair of touchdowns. While Bell played 42 percent of the offensive snaps in Baltimore’s loss to Miami last Thursday, he had only three carries for 1 yard.
Bell’s most productive performance was the week before, when he had 48 yards on 11 carries in Baltimore’s win over Minnesota.
The Ravens haven’t had Latavius Murray for the last three games due to an ankle injury. Bell’s release could be a harbinger of his potential return for the Week 11 contest against the Bears.
Le’Veon Bell has only been a member of the Ravens for one day, but he just might suit up Monday.
Bell joined Baltimore as a practice squad addition this week, a move that became official with Wednesday’s transaction wire. He joined the Ravens with the hopes of providing the Ravens with a fallback option following season-ending injuries to running backs J.K. Dobbins and Justice Hill, but with his arrival coming mere days before Baltimore kicks off the season, a significant role would seem to be out of the question.
A supplementary role isn’t unforeseeable, however.
“Le’Veon’s a guy I think we’re very familiar with obviously,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Thursday. “We’ve played against him so many times in so many highly competitive, emotional games. It was fun to have him in for the workout, he had a good workout. Practiced yesterday, did a good job. So, we’ll have a process with him. He’s excited, he’s learning and we’ll see where it goes.”
Harbaugh added “there’s a chance” Bell will be elevated to the active roster and play Monday against the Raiders.
With just one practice in the books entering Thursday’s session, Bell will have to cram as much as possible to be ready to help the Ravens. Baltimore doesn’t have an extreme need for bodies, as the team lists Gus Edwards as its starter with Ty’Son Williams and Trenton Cannon behind him on the depth chart, but having Bell available wouldn’t hurt, either.
The NFL carried over its COVID-19 roster rules implemented last season, which gives teams more room to promote practice squad players in case of emergency. Under these amended rules, Bell could be elevated to the active roster by 4 p.m. ET Sunday without a need for a corresponding roster move. He could also be elevated within 90 minutes of kickoff if a player tested positive for COVID-19.
Basically, there’s room for Bell on the roster as it stands. His promotion would draw eyes toward the Ravens, thanks to Bell’s name recognition. We don’t know how capable he is of helping Baltimore’s chances, but if Bell is anywhere near the elite back he once was before his career saw a downturn in recent years, he’d be an asset.
Knowing this, Harbaugh isn’t leaving his involvement out of the question. We’ll have to wait until the weekend to learn whether Bell ends up playing a part in Baltimore’s season opener against Las Vegas.
Le’Veon Bell faced the Ravens many times while he was a member of the Steelers and he may get a chance to play for his former AFC North rivals soon.
Bell worked out for the Ravens on Monday and Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Ravens are signing him to their practice squad. Schefter adds that Bell is expected to be moved to the active roster “when ready,” although that plan could change if things don’t go as hoped during upcoming practices.
The Ravens lost J.K. Dobbins to a torn ACL in their final preseason game and Justice Hill to a torn Achilles in a recent practice. Gus Edwards and Ty’Son Williams are the other backs on the roster and there currently is not a back on the practice squad.
Bell opened last season with the Jets and hurt his hamstring in Week One. After a stint on injured reserve, he returned for one game and then got released after appearing to air his desire for a trade on social media. He signed with the Chiefs and ran 63 times for 254 yards and two touchdowns before falling out of the lineup in the final weeks of the season.