Le'Veon Bell rewrites NY Jets history just to drag Adam Gase one more time

Le’Veon Bell still isn’t done talking about Adam Gase. The former New York Jets running back is once again placing the blame for his NFL downfall squarely on the shoulders of his former head coach, Adam Gase.

Responding to a social media post that asked what happened to his once-promising career, Bell tweeted simply: “Adam Gase happened.” It’s not the first time he’s pointed fingers at Gase, who oversaw one of the most dysfunctional eras in Jets history.

But when a fan sarcastically asked if Gase forced him to sign with the Jets, Bell claimed he joined the team before Gase was hired. Unfortunately for Bell and his revisionist history, that isn’t remotely true.

Gase was officially named head coach in January 2019. Bell didn’t sign with the Jets until mid-March. Gase reportedly wanted Bell and had plans to feature him in his offense. The duo’s relationship quickly soured, however, and what was supposed to be a marquee free-agent signing unraveled almost immediately.

Le'Veon Bell can't stop taking shots at Adam Gase

Jets fans haven’t exactly forgiven Bell, whose short-lived tenure in New York came with more off-field drama than on-field production. But they’ve certainly reserved most of their disdain for Gase, widely viewed as one of the worst head coaches in franchise history.

He hasn’t worked in the NFL since the Jets fired him after the 2020 season, while Bell bounced around multiple teams before quietly exiting the league.

Of course, this wasn’t the first time Bell has aired his frustrations with Gase in his post-Jets years. Just last summer, Bell went on a social media tirade mocking Gase’s offensive play-calling, particularly calling out how often the Jets would run predictable shotgun dives on second-and-long.

He even suggested that former quarterback Sam Darnold would occasionally look confused by the play calls mid-snap, further emphasizing the levels of dysfunction that defined the Gase era in New York.

Bell has long maintained that Gase failed to utilize him properly and stifled what was left of his prime. While his comments often come off as bitter, it’s hard to blame him entirely.

The Jets signed Bell to a four-year, $52.5 million contract in 2019, making him one of the highest-paid running backs in the NFL. But under Gase, Bell never came close to replicating his Pittsburgh success.

He averaged just 3.3 yards per carry in his first season and was released less than two years into the deal. Meanwhile, Gase was a universally panned hire from the moment he arrived, and his two-year stint with the Jets remains one of the most disastrous head coaching tenures the organization has ever seen.

Still, Bell’s decision to point fingers, while rewriting basic facts in the process, is another reminder of how bleak those years were for the Jets. The Gase era will forever be remembered as one of the darkest stretches in an already tortured franchise’s recent history.

Bell knows that all too well, and he’s clearly willing to stretch the truth just to remind everyone.

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