‘I Was Going to Focus on Boxing’: Le’veon Bell Reveals How he Chose Playing With Tom Brady Over Fighting Jake Paul

Earlier this week, Le’Veon Bell called out Jake Paul for his apparent “phony” boxing antics. The wide receiver, who has been a free agent for quite some time now, was expected to challenge Jake Paul for a fight. But all of a sudden, Tom Brady and the Bucs dropped a bombshell by announcing the signing of Bell.

Why did the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sign Le’Veon Bell?

A sudden injury problem for a team that was on the verge of winning it all might wreck their campaign. Any team’s worst nightmare is losing important players for extended periods of time in the middle of the season and that’s exactly what happened with the Bucs. To begin with, Bucs Pro Bowler and wide receiver Mike Godwin suffered an ACL and MCL strain this week. This injury means that he won’t be able to play for the Bucs and is effectively out for the season.

Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, the bad news didn’t stop there. Running back Leonard Fournette also dealt with a setback against the Saints. If reports are to be believed, his injury might keep him out until Week 17. Lastly, Mike Evans was also injured but Ian Rapoport reported yesterday that it is not as severe as the other two. According to sources, he is expected to return in the next two weeks.

When key players leave in the middle of the season, your only option is to hire free agents. Hence, the Buccaneers chose to find a quick short-term solution in Le’Veon Bell. The veteran RB fits the bill perfectly thanks to his experience and pedigree. Lastly, he can also be a calming influence in the dressing room.

“I was going to be done”: Bucs’ latest recruit reveals how he almost quit football before getting the call from Bucs

Earlier today, senior NFL journalist Adam Schefter made a shocking revelation. Schefter revealed that if Brady & co hadn’t called, the WR would’ve hung up his boots and started preparing for his boxing career.

New Bucs’ RB Le’Veon Bell, asked today if he seriously considered retirement: “Yeah, I was going to be done. I was at the point where I wasn’t really going to play football. I was going to focus on boxing. Once you get that phone call – it was like, ‘Oh yes, this is it,'” tweeted Schefter.

Did Le’Veon Bell take the right decision? Let us know your thoughts below!

DIVE DEEPER