Le’Veon Bell’s time with the Baltimore Ravens appears to have come to a close, as the former All-Pro running back announced Tuesday that the team has released him. Bell signed with the Ravens back in early September following Baltimore’s backfield suffering a number of key season-ending injuries, including to J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. He originally signed to the practice squad but made his way onto the active roster and appeared in five games for the club over the first 10 weeks of the regular season.
Bell will now be subject to waivers, with any team free to place a claim on him to possibly bring him aboard for the stretch run. However, CBS Sports NFL insider Josina Anderson reports that the Ravens are still hoping Bell can rejoin their practice squad at some point this season. At this time, though, Baltimore is getting healthier and needs the roster spot, Anderson added.
In his announcement on social media, Bell admitted his release “hurts” but also noted that he “enjoyed every second of this short period” with the Ravens. He also thanked GM Eric DeCosta and head coach John Harbaugh for the opportunity.
While Bell is still a famous name around NFL circles, he wasn’t the same player with the Ravens that we saw during his prime with the Pittsburgh Steelers. In his five games played, he totaled 83 yards rushing and two touchdowns, while catching one of his three targets in the passing game. In all, he played just 17.8% of Baltimore’s offensive snaps. Bell had taken a backseat in the Ravens backfield in recent weeks to Devonta Freeman, who has logged double-digit carries in each of the team’s past two games.
Meanwhile, Bell’s release could also be an indication that Latavius Murray is nearing his return to the field after missing the last three games due to an ankle injury. Baltimore will face the Bears this Sunday for a Week 11 matchup in Chicago.
