Did Le’Veon Bell just send a cryptic tweet that he is retiring?

Le’Veon Bell used to be a star NFL, but here’s why a recent cryptic tweet may suggest that the former Steelers star is done with the NFL. 

The 2021 offseason has been awkward enough for Le’Veon Bell. After bashing Super Bowl-winning head coach Andy Reid recently, the former two-time First-Team All-Pro running back recently has a message for NFL fans.

Bell’s most recent tweet is just a single emoji, but it could hold a cryptic message behind it. Here’s what he posted on Twitter on Monday afternoon:

Typically, there aren’t a lot of different ways to determine the ‘peace’ sign Bell tweeted out, and many NFL fans have jumped to the concussion that Le’Veon is ‘peacing out’ from the NFL. If he did, how will Bell be remembered?

If Le’Veon Bell is indeed retiring, how will he be remembered?

Of course, there’s a chance that the emoji he tweeted out contains no cryptic message at all (nothing would surprise me at this point with Bell), but retirement does seem to fall right in line with everything else the former star running back has done this offseason. If he really is finished in the league, will he be remembered as an All-Pro or the washed-up running back he was over the past few years?

Bell had an electric start to his NFL career. By his second season in 2014, the former Steelers star earned 1,361 yards on the ground to go with 8 rushing touchdowns, according to Pro Football Reference. However, where he really turned heads was with his receiving ability, as the then 22-year-old collected 83 receptions for 854 yards and 3 touchdowns through the air – a whopping 10.3 yards per catch.

Bell would play just 6 games the following year after Vontaze Burfict tackled him awkwardly – resulting in a torn ACL. However, he followed up his season on IR with another All-Pro performance in 2016 as he averaged 4.9 yards per carry and 8.6 yards per reception.

Unfortunately, Le’Veon Bell’s ride on top was short-lived, and he ultimately offered just four productive seasons in his NFL career. By the time he signed with the New York Jets in 2019, Bell looked completely washed up (as evidence by his 3.2 yards per carry average on 245 attempts).

Bell was phenomenal for a short while in the NFL, but his career fizzled out as fast as anyone in recent memory. Each fan will have their own interpretation of how they weigh longevity and what type of player he was, but it’s undeniable that he offered up just a few great seasons in the NFL.

At the end of the day, it’s hard to feel too sorry for Le’Veon Bell, as he made $44.2 million during his NFL career, according to Over the Cap. However, if this is indeed the end, it will be interesting to see how Bell’s short-lived career as one of the league’s best running backs will be remembered. Perhaps he will be just an afterthought ten years from now.