New York Jets’ running back Le’Veon Bell has been under heavy criticism for going bowling on Saturday night despite having the flu, which caused him to miss Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins because he was too sick.
The bowling trip has been a topic of discussion, and Jets’ head coach Adam Gase said that the incident was a bad optic for Bell and the organization.
For his part, Bell has no regrets, joking that he bowled a career-high 251 “coming off the flu.”
“I don’t feel bad about what I did,” Bell said, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “I didn’t break any rules. I wasn’t a distraction until now.”
But Bell didn’t just discuss the bowling trip, he also aired out his frustrations with the Jets offense, saying that he feels underutilized and saying this wasn’t the first time he had voiced his feelings on the offense. Bell was then asked if he felt he had been given the opportunity to thrive.
“Honestly, no. I think that’s just being in a new system, with new guys up front, a new coaching staff. I’m with a new organization. Everything kind of takes time. I understand that. That’s why I’ve always been patient.
“But to be honest with you, no. I feel like when I do, I’ll be back to what people are used to seeing.”
“I don’t like to keep harping on the same thing,” Bell said. “I said what I said. We had the conversation. That was that. I’m not about to have the same conversations over and over. We both understand each other. As time goes on, things will get better.”
Bell and Gase discussed the incident, with Gase opting not to punish Bell for bowling.
“They weren’t sure about my energy and hydration, so they held me out of the game,” Bell said. “But they advised me to get out of the house and move a little bit. I had a lot of family and friends there because they were expecting me to play. Everybody was at my house, just kind of looking at me. I felt better, I felt a lot better, so we went out bowling and had fun.”
Bell may be one-and-done with the Jets after signing a four-year, $52.5 million contract in March to join the team in free agency.