Coming off one of the boldest attempts to secure a top-market contract in NFL history, Le’Veon Bell landed on his feet. While his market was on the verge of getting to a place that would have made his gamble foolish, with several teams either bowing out early or not having the level of interest previously indicated, the Jets saved the All-Pro back.
Bell’s deal will come with $27MM fully guaranteed, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. That number gives Bell the third-most fully guaranteed money among running backs (and the most among backs attached to veteran contracts, with only rookie-contract players Saquon Barkley and Leonard Fournette standing to earn more over the course of their deals). There is an additional $8MM in injury guarantees, bumping the four-year, $52.5MM deal’s total guaranteed money to $35MM.
While the Jets can get out of this contract after Year 2, after having paid the $27MM due through the 2020 season, Bell’s 2021 salary ($8MM) is guaranteed for injury. That figure becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2021 league year. Bell’s non-guaranteed 2022 salary is $9.5MM, Florio adds. The $8MM signing bonus will be completely paid by January 2020. If Bell is on the Jets’ roster through 2021, he will be due $38MM — without factoring in per-game roster bonuses, which max out at $500K per season.
In terms of per-game incentives, Bell can collect $1.5MM per season — but the thresholds are lofty. In each year of the contract, Bell can earn $500K for surpassing 1,800 yards from scrimmage — something he has done three times, including in 2016 when he only played 12 games. Should Bell exceed 2,000 yards from scrimmage, he would collect an additional $500K. If Bell gains 1,800 yards from scrimmage and the Jets make the playoffs, that means another $500K for their starting running back, Florio notes. No Jet has recorded 1,800 yards from scrimmage since Curtis Martin in 2004.
Bell gave up $14.5MM on the Steelers’ 2018 franchise tag to be in position to command this contract, and while that was a debatable strategy, an injury may have ruined the 27-year-old’s chances of securing it. Bell had suffered key setbacks during the 2014, ’15 and ’16 seasons.
And Just like Antonio Brown‘s gamble depended on the Raiders, who were willing to redo the wide receiver’s deal when other suitors would not, Bell’s market depended on the Jets. The 49ers’ offer did not include guarantees in the vicinity of the Jets’ proposal, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets. This follows a report that placed San Francisco’s three-year, $38MM deal as being “just about fully guaranteed.”
How do you “ land on your feet”when you gave up almost 15 mil and a year of his short prime. He will never get that money back or that year back. At the end of his career, no matter what he will have 15 mil less than he could have had. That, in my opinion is landing on your head, not your feet.
15 mill less,,,,,,,,,so his great great great great grandchildren will need to find a living
True!
And if he tore his ACL or got a diffrent major injury he would have been nowhere close to 35 million guarenteed. 35 > 15 its really not that hard. Also thats a years worth of hits that he didn’t take. If he does what he has done his whole career he will be there to earn all 52
Earl Thomas did quite well coming off an injury. This is different how? If Bell played hard and completed the season he would have more money. If bell played half the season, tore his ACL or broke his leg (as Thomas did), he would still get a decent contract. Probably similar to the one he just signed. Now he’s just overweight and a year out of football. Great job bell
Theres no way on earth Bell would have got the same deal off a torn ACL. There is a diffrence between him and Thomas, and its the positon they play. RB is the most demanding positon on your body. Saftey is not nearly as demanding.
the deal Bell got was terrible. Thomas plays a less demanding postion, but he is older and coming off an injury. Still did well. And Thomas got paid for last year. Bell should be seen as stupid for skipping out last year. He gambled and lost. But yea, he could paralyze himself and now he’s guaranteed more money. Football is dangerous.
It’s called insurance.
He could have insured himself for $70-80 million and it would have cost a lot less than the $14.5 million he gave up jet skiing.
It’s a rather common and well known practice among athletes.
Praising Bell for making a smart move requires one to pretend that insurance wasn’t an option. It was.
He bet on himself and lost, but his loss is still pretty nice…as no person with any self control will notice the difference between $70 million and $50 million.
Salty Steeler fans still coming here trying to justify terrible deals that they dole out. Keep retrying throw out the BIG number for the people who don’t understand the pertinent numbers that players look for and want. NICE try!
What part of guaranteed contract do you not understand? He was guaranteed 14.5 million last year.. had he suffered a career ending injury he would have walked away with 14.5 million in total.
Now if he suffers a career ending injury on the first play of training camp, he at least walks away with 35 million.
Would you not rather guarantee yourself 35 million than 14.5 million?
Rather have $49.5 mil. BOTH. But he will never see that again. That year is gone.
1. If he got hurt your point is moot
2. It’s about more than money, and if he had ended up getting more money he would have just been called greedy.
Make less money – foolish
Make more money – greedy
What story is next….Brown and Bell were in Steelers locker room toilet talking about escaping from contracts as early as 2017
No. They were standing next to each other in a bathroom in Michigan during their college years and planned it then.
How long will it take for Bell to start complaining about the front office’s inability to put a winning roster together or how Gase is not using him the right way? He has all the talent in the world but he is his own worst enemy; nothing is ever his fault. Will be really interesting to see what happens after Year 2 of this deal. Will he wear out his welcome by then? He’ll be $27M richer, but if he doesn’t change his attitude I can easily see the Jets sending him packing after Year 2. I don’t want to see him fail, but he will need to take a different approach in New York in order to be successful. The NY media will eat him alive if he starts finger pointing again. Pittsburg fans adored him but his teammates got fed up with him and his BS. Hopefully he takes a new approach and attitude into New York…would be great to see him help lead the Jets to relevance again. Just hope he can handle a 6-10 season next year without going off!
Please point someone to an article where Bell was ever been disruptive in the clubhouse? I’m guessing it doesn’t exist. What approach will he need to take besides looking out for his future? If he does his job, stays healthy, he can 60 mil. Also, Please show where he’s ever pointed fingers at anyone? Dude hasn’t even been in the clubhouse since he finished the 2017 season with 400+ touches, including the playoffs, and he was the best player on the field. You just wrote a novel base on nothing but your “personal opinions”. That is your 1st amendment right, but it still doesn’t make it true.
Are you confusing Bell with Big Ben? As far as I remember, the only player that was a locker room disturbance in regards to winning/losing was Ben. I don’t think Ben ever took responsibility for bad performances/losses the past couple of years.
In the quest for the hall of fame he will be a year short of stats…what could have been…bold move
Leave it to the Jets to outbid themselves…..
All that end he ends up on the JETS!!! LOLOLOL!!!
Yeah how will he ever take living in NYC instead of Pittsburgh. Steelers are a 7 win team at best now anyway
This comes as great news to Dairy Queen employees who worked with Bell. They have no guarantees but proudly serve in their uniforms for 5 bucks an hour.
Still projecting your weight and Career path on bell?