Tag: Bell

UConn’s Skyler Bell joins big-name WRs as Biletnikoff finalist

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State, Makai Lemon of Southern California and Skyler Bell of UConn are the 2025 Biletnikoff Award finalists, announced Tuesday.

The award is presented annually to the season’s most outstanding FBS receiver at any position.

The surprise of the list is Bell, who had a breakout senior season for the Huskies.

UConn (9-3) is finished for the regular season, but Bell leads the nation in receptions (101), receiving yards (1,278) and receiving touchdowns (13). He ranks second to Danny Scudero of San Jose State with an average of 106.5 yards per game.

While Ohio State and USC have turned out multiple winners of individual awards, Bell is the first UConn player in program history to earn finalist status for one of college football’s top awards.

Smith, a sophomore, ranks 11th in the nation in receptions (69) and 13th in receiving yards (902). He is tied for fifth place with 10 TD catches. The 11-0 Buckeyes, ranked No. 1 in the nation, will meet No. 18 Michigan in their annual rivalry game to conclude the regular season on Saturday.

Lemon will have one final regular-season game to improve his numbers on Saturday when No. 15 USC (8-3) hosts crosstown rival UCLA.

The junior stands third in FBS with 1,124 yards on 78 catches, the latter being sixth in the nation. He has added 10 touchdowns and averages 102.2 yards per game, just behind Bell on the list.

The winner will be announced Dec. 12 during the College Football Awards Show on ESPN.

–Field Level Media

Dec 17, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Atlanta Falcons tight end Jonnu Smith (81) catches the ball as Carolina Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu (49) and safety Vonn Bell (24) defend in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Panthers release S Vonn Bell

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Panthers safety Vonn Bell was released on Monday before he was due a $3 million roster bonus, according to multiple reports.

Releasing Bell creates $1.05 million under the salary cap for Carolina in 2024.

Bell spent just one season with the Panthers, who signed the former Bengals safety on the opening day of free agency last March.

Carolina confirmed another move Monday, re-signing long-snapper JJ Jansen to a one-year deal. Jansen, 38, owns the franchise record with 243 games played.

Bell, 29, missed four games last season after starting 48 the previous three seasons with the Bengals. He had never missed more than three games in a season due to injury before 2023.

Bell spent the first four seasons of his career with the Saints and has 705 tackles, 9.5 sacks and seven interceptions in 122 career games.

–Field Level Media

November 27, 2022; Santa Clara, California, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Shy Tuttle (99) after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Panthers signing S Vonn Bell, DL Shy Tuttle

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Carolina Panthers have agreed to terms with safety Vonn Bell and defensive tackle Shy Tuttle, according to multiple reports Monday.

Bell, 28, and fellow Bengals safety Jessie Bates are both unrestricted free agents.

Tuttle agreed to a three-year contract worth $19.5 million, ESPN and NFL Network reported, and helps the Panthers in their transition to a 3-4 defense.

Tuttle gets $13 million guaranteed at signing, per the reports.

Both deals can become official on Wednesday, the first day of the new league year.

Bell was a second-round pick in 2016 by the New Orleans Saints. He had a career-high four interceptions last season with the Bengals.

Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said losing Bell and Bates would be a “dark day” in Cincinnati because of all the contributions they make to the team that go unseen.

Tuttle, 27, signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee in 2019. He recorded 143 tackles, four sacks and 14 passes defensed in 63 games (33 starts) for the Saints.

He’ll likely play nose tackle for the Panthers.

–Field Level Media

Dec 19, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette (7) is tackled by New Orleans Saints defensive end Carl Granderson (96) in the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Bucs activate Leonard Fournette off IR, waive Le’Veon Bell

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers activated Leonard Fournette from injured reserve on Saturday and waived fellow running back Le’Veon Bell.

The move was made one day before the Buccaneers host the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC divisional round playoff game.

Fournette, 27, has been sidelined with a hamstring injury he sustained on Dec. 19 against the New Orleans Saints. He missed the final three regular-season games as well as last weekend’s 31-15 playoff victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Fournette rushed for 812 yards and eight touchdowns in 14 games this season. He also caught 69 passes for 454 yards and two scores.

Fournette was a force in the postseason last year when he rushed for 300 yards and three touchdowns and caught 18 passes for 148 yards and one score as the Buccaneers won four straight games to win the Super Bowl.

Bell, 29, carried eight times for 18 yards and caught four passes for 31 yards in three games for Tampa Bay.

Bell was a three-time 1,000-yard rusher for the Pittsburgh Steelers between 2013-17 before his career went downhill.

–Field Level Media

Oct 17, 2021; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Le'Veon Bell (17) carries the ball against the Los Angeles Chargers during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Bucs ring Le’Veon Bell with RB injuries piling up

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Le’Veon Bell signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with running back injuries piling up for the Super Bowl champions.

Leading rusher Leonard Fournette is on injured reserve for the rest of the regular season following a hamstring injury suffered in Sunday’s loss to New Orleans.

The move reunites Bell with Antonio Brown, who formed a potent 1-2 offensive punch with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Fournette, 26, leads the team in carries (180), rushing yards (812) and rushing touchdowns (eight). He also has provided an impact in the passing game with 69 receptions for 454 yards and two touchdowns. The Bucs expect Fournette back for the playoffs, per the report.

Ronald Jones II likely will assume the bulk of the workload in the backfield with Fournette sidelined.

Bell, 29, appeared in five games earlier this season with the Baltimore Ravens. He rushed for 83 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries.

A three-time Pro Bowl and two-time All-Pro selection, Bell was a second-round pick (No. 48 overall) by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2013 NFL Draft and went on to play five seasons in Pittsburgh (2013-17) before later playing for the New York Jets (2019-20) and Kansas City Chiefs (2020).

In 93 career games, Bell has 1,587 carries for 6,536 yards and 42 rushing touchdowns and 395 receptions for 3,258 yards and eight touchdowns. Since entering the league in 2013, Bell ranks fourth in the NFL in yards from scrimmage (9,794) and first among running backs.

–Field Level Media

Sep 11, 2021; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Jack Plummer (13) throws a pass under pressure from Connecticut Huskies defensive lineman Travis Jones (57) in the first half at Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Jack Plummer, David Bell help Purdue trounce UConn

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Jack Plummer threw three of his career-high four touchdown passes to David Bell and Purdue punctuated a rough week for UConn with a 49-0 nonconference victory on Saturday in East Hartford, Conn.

Plummer completed 16 of 20 passes for 245 yards with no interceptions and Bell had six receptions for 121 yards to lead the Boilermakers (2-0). Neither played in the second half with Purdue leading 35-0 at the break.

It was a rocky debut for UConn interim coach Lou Spanos, who took over on Monday when Randy Edsall stepped down following losses to Fresno State and FCS member Holy Cross to start the season.

The Huskies (0-3) were outgained 562-223 as the Boilermakers registered their first shutout since 2011.

After a three-and-out on its opening drive, Purdue scored touchdowns on its next seven possessions.

Plummer’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Payne Durham opened the floodgates with 5:06 left in the first quarter.

Purdue’s 28-point second quarter included a 1-yard run up the middle by King Doerue and three TD grabs by Bell, who repeatedly made UConn tacklers miss while scoring from 30, 59 and 8 yards out.

Steven Krajewski made his first career start for the Huskies and was 14-of-25 passing for 99 yards and an interception. He also rushed for a team-high 42 yards.

Aidan O’Connell took over for Plummer to start the second half and continued the onslaught, tossing third-quarter touchdown passes to Mershawn Rice (15 yards) and TJ Sheffield (5 yards) to make it 49-0.

Joe McFadden missed a 49-yard field-goal attempt in the second quarter for UConn, which was shut out for the second time this season.

It was the first-ever meeting between the Boilermakers of the Big Ten and the independent Huskies.

Purdue lost starting tailback Zander Horvath to an injury in the first quarter. He was helped to the locker room and returned to the sideline with a boot on his lower left leg.

–Field Level Media

Sep 13, 2020; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New York Jets running back Le'Veon Bell (26) walks off the field following the game against the Buffalo Bills at Bills Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Chiefs deal could pay RB Bell $1.69M

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Running back Le’Veon Bell’s contract with the Kansas City Chiefs carries a low price tag, ESPN reported Friday.

Bell was released by the New York Jets on Tuesday, and he signed with the Chiefs on Thursday.

ESPN reported that his new deal carries a $1 million base salary, which works out to $687,500 when prorated to account for the portion of the season remaining. Bell also could make another $1 million based on his playing time and postseason incentives, according to the report.

The amount that Bell receives will reduce the amount the Jets were still obligated to pay, $6 million for the rest of the 2020 season.

Bell, 28, was a two-time All-Pro while spending 2013-17 with the Pittsburgh Steelers, for whom he had three 1,200-plus-yard rushing seasons. He sat out the 2018 season in a salary dispute, then landed a four-year, $52.5 million free agent deal with the Jets in March 2019.

Bell wound up playing 17 games and amassing just 863 rushing yards and four total touchdowns for the Jets, who paid him $28 million.

In two games for New York this season, Bell gained 74 yards on 19 carries and caught three passes for 39 yards.

–Field Level Media

Sep 13, 2020; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New York Jets running back Le'Veon Bell (26) warms up prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at Bills Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Jets RB Bell expected to miss more time

Posted on | by Field Level Media

New York Jets running back Le’Veon Bell could miss multiple weeks recovering from a hamstring injury, head coach Adam Gase said Monday.

Gase was clear that no timetable was known, but repeated the possibility Bell’s injury could last weeks.

“It could be a couple weeks,” Gase said, “I don’t want to put a timetable on it.

“I just know what kind of shape he’s in. I just wouldn’t be surprised if he came back quicker than anticipated.”

Bell injured his hamstring late in the second quarter after falling awkwardly on an incomplete pass in which the running back drew a defensive holding penalty. He played five plays in the second half, then came out for good once the injury’s impact on his ability to play was apparent.

“I’m mad at myself that I let him go back in there in the second half,” Gase said after the game at Orchard Park, N.Y.

No additional information on the injury was released Sunday, and Bell was not made available to the media.

“That play looked bad,” Gase said, referring to when his 28-year-old star was injured. “I’m watching, and I thought it was going to be a touchdown, then he got grabbed. And kind of the way he planted and torqued, it looked really bad.

“I saw him grab his hamstring and he wouldn’t come out. We come in at halftime. I let him go back in there. I was worried about it, and we were eventually like, ‘I can’t put you in there. We can’t take a chance on getting more hurt than you already are.’”

Earlier this summer, Bell was pulled from scrimmaging with what the team called hamstring tightness, but the running back tweeted shortly afterward there was nothing wrong with his hamstring.

–Field Level Media