The Kansas City Chiefs should not pursue Le’Veon Bell in free agency

Le’Veon Bell is officially a free agent and is eligible to be signed starting March 13. Some think the Chiefs could sign him but here’s why they shouldn’t.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have officially opted not to franchise or transition tag Le’Veon Bell this year, making him an unrestricted free agent eligible to be signed starting March 13th.

It’s highly unlikely for the Kansas City Chiefs to pursue Bell; however, there are some Chiefs fans who would like the star running back.

Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones, for one, seems to be on board with signing Bell judging by this video he posted to his Instagram on Wednesday:

Adding Bell to the team would definitely solidify the running back position, but, regardless, the Chiefs should not attempt to sign Bell. There are several reasons why the Chiefs would fare better without Bell, the biggest being his contract.

Bell just finished sitting out a season where, if he played, he could’ve earned $14.5 million. His motivation for sitting out was because he wanted a bigger contract. Following Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley’s record-setting deal, Bell wants to be the new record holder at the running back position. Gurley’s deal includes $45 million in guarantees and an average salary of about $14.4 million.

As a result, last year Bell wanted a deal that included at least $45 million in guarantees as well as a salary that averages about $17 million. At this point, it wouldn’t be surprising if Bell wants an even bigger contract. Some teams might be willing to pay this, but, financially, it makes no sense for the Chiefs.

According to Over the Cap, the Chiefs only have about $10 million in cap space currently. With the report that they will be releasing linebacker Justin Houston, they can save $14 million to bring their cap up to $24 million. While this would be enough to spend on Le’Veon Bell, considering the Chiefs needs at safety and linebacker, it would not make sense to use this money to improve an already spectacular offense.

The Chiefs are also currently working on a contract to make wide receiver Tyreek Hill the highest paid wide receiver in football and have plans to make quarterback Patrick Mahomes the highest paid quarterback in football. Giving Bell the contract he wants would certainly make him the highest paid running back in football, and it makes absolutely no sense for the Chiefs to have three of the highest paid players in football all on offense.

Putting contracts aside, signing Bell wouldn’t make sense for the Chiefs because they already have a running back in place: Damien Williams. Williams, who came on at the end of the season to replace Kareem Hunt, carried the ball just 50 times and averaged an amazing 5.1 yards per carry. This performance was good enough for him to earn a contract extension that is friendly to both him and the Chiefs.

While Williams is no Kareem Hunt or Le’Veon Bell, he is exactly what the Chiefs need—a running back who can step in here and there so Mahomes doesn’t have to throw the ball 50 times a game.

Even if the Chiefs feel like they need someone other than Williams, the running back class this NFL draft is full of talent. Guys like Darrell Henderson, Justice Hill, and Bryce Love will certainly be available for the Chiefs to draft at some point. Draft picks are of course not guaranteed to work out, but with the talent that is currently out there, the chances are high for the Chiefs to hit and find a diamond in the rough.

Rather than spend a crazy amount of money on Le’Veon Bell, the Chiefs are much better off settling for what they have and testing their luck in the draft. While it would be a luxury to add a running back like Bell to their offense, it makes no absolutely no sense.