Jets quarterback Sam Darnold is happy his team added Le’Veon Bell.
New York signed the star running back to a four-year, $52.5 million deal in mid-March. Darnold, 21, was asked about Bell when he met with reporters Thursday during OTAs.
“Obviously, we know what Le’Veon is capable of,” Darnold said. “Once we signed him I was pumped, just super stoked to have him on our team and for me to have him as a weapon. To be able to check the ball down, get him out in space, have him running routes, there’s so many things we can do. … So, I’m really pumped about it.”
New Jets coach Adam Gase reportedly did not want the team to sign Bell – who missed all of 2018 after holding out from the Steelers over a contract dispute. Gase, however, denied that was the case when he met with reporters Thursday.
Gase was promoted to interim general manager after New York fired Mike Maccagnan last week.
“We signed him,” Gase said. “I’m excited we have him. I’ve been in constant communication with him.”
Bell later responded to Gase’s comments on Twitter.
Darnold, meanwhile, completed 57.7 percent of his passes and threw for 17 touchdowns, along with 15 interceptions, in 13 games as a rookie for the Jets last season. He said he was excited to learn Gase’s offense.
“It’s been really fun to learn a new offense, kind of understand what coach Gase wants to do, how aggressive he wants to be,” Darnold said. “But (we’ve been) really making sure that we take a step back and realize it’s not going to be perfect Day 1 or Day 2 or Day 3. This week (at OTAs) it was definitely a process – that’s the word I would use to describe it.”
The Jets finished 2018 with a 4-12 record and missed the playoffs for an eighth straight season. They fired former coach Todd Bowles in late December and hired Gase to replace him.