Nothing about Adam Gase and Le’Veon Bell’s relationship has been smooth sailing.
After their repaired relationship seemed to be improving following some damage control by Gase, it hit a bump in the road following New York’s scrimmage on Wednesday. Bell was removed from the scrimmage with what Gase called “hamstring tightness.” Not happy, Bell took to Twitter to tell his side of the story. The Jets running back said his hamstrings were fine and it was tough for him to get loose while standing around on the sideline.
For Gase, that was a bit of a surprise.
“I was caught off guard a little bit, but we had a good talk,” Gase said on Saturday. “I told him I felt like our relationship was way better than him going on social media and him just being able to come talk to me. We talked about a lot of stuff, we talked about some things that maybe we can do a little different. He understood kind of how I was going to do some things in practice.”
For now, the head coach and running back have cleared the air regarding the incident and their relationship seems to be back on the right track.
“For me, he’s a veteran player who has been around for a while,” Gase said. “When I explained some things to him, he understood what I’ve been trying to do at practice. He knows we’re kind of trying to thread the needle on quite a few things with reps and making sure we are doing a good job of getting guys in the right shape heading into Week 1. This is unfamiliar territory to all of us. We’re just trying to find the best way to get ourselves ready for the first game of the year.”
Gase has already admitted this offseason that he did not properly utilize Bell in 2019. Last season, a predictable offense helped lead to the worst statistical season of Bell’s career. Now, New York’s head coach is trying to find the best usage for a player of Bell’s caliber. As Gase helps his team navigate uncharted waters, he also wants to make sure that Bell is in good form for the start of the regular season. That’s with Bell claiming to be in the best shape of his life.
For now, Bell and Gase have put this incident behind them. The air has been cleared, but history tends to repeat itself. Don’t be surprised if another disagreement between the two occurs before the end of the season.