Rob Carr/Getty Images Le'Veon Bell of the Baltimore Ravens holds onto the ball after a tackle by Asante Samuel Jr. of the Los Angeles Chargers on October 17, 2021.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro running back Le’Veon Bell hasn’t produced many yards since joining the Baltimore Ravens in early September. But that didn’t stop the Ravens from promoting Bell to the team’s active roster on Tuesday October 19, thanks in part to another injury at the running back position.
Bell originally came to the Ravens on September 7 when he was inked as an unrestricted free agent after running backs J.K. Dobbins (torn ACL), Gus Edwards (torn ACL) and Justice Hill (torn Achilles) went down with season-ending injuries. Since then he has been elevated from the active roster on two occasions—for the Week 4 victory at Denver and the Week 6 blowout of the Los Angeles Chargers. But he has just 12 carries for 29 yards and one touchdown, especially underwhelming numbers considered that the Ravens have the fourth-ranked rushing offense in the NFL, with 931 total yards and a team average of 4.9 yards per carry.
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Nevertheless, Bell could play a greater role in the offense this week if Latavius Murray misses time with the ankle injury that sidelined him this past Sunday. In that case, Bell will likely split time with Devonta Freeman and Ty’Son Williams, who have averaged 5.9 yards and 5.5 yards per carry this season, respectively.
Jaguars Release Rashaad Coward
In other news involving ex-Steelers players, the Jacksonville Jaguars terminated the contract of offensive lineman Rashaad Coward, who was signed to the team’s roster only a week ago. It’s conceivable that Coward still isn’t 100 percent healthy, as he was nursing an ankle injury when the Steelers released him on October 9.
Ex-Steelers Kicker Matthew Wright Named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week
Meanwhile, former Steelers placekicker Matthew Wright has been thriving with the Jaguars. This past Sunday, Wright was the difference-maker in Jacksonville’s 23-20 triumph over the Miami Dolphins. Specifically, he kicked 54- and 53-yard field goals in the final four minutes of regulation, which allowed Jacksonville to snap its 20-game losing streak. He also made a 40-yard field goal and both of his extra-point attempts, winning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week in the process.
More notably, he appears to have won the team’s placekicker job, as Jacksonville released its other kicker, Josh Lambo, who had kicked for the team since 2017.
Wright was signed to the Jaguars’ practice squad on September 27 and made his Jags debut against the Bengals on September 30. He was a practice squad elevation for a second time when Jacksonville hosted the Tennessee Titans on October 10.
To date, Wright has made 6-of-7 extra-points for the Jaguars and is 3-for-4 on field goals. Per Pro Football Reference, the 25-year-old Central Florida product has converted 87.5% of his career field-goal attempts (7 of 8) and 92.9% of his extra-point attempts (13 of 14).
Wright’s first three appearances in the NFL came last season, when he served as an injury replacement for Steelers placekicker Chris Boswell. He made his regular-season debut against Washington on Monday December 7, 2020, and went on to make all four of the field goals and all seven of the extra-points he attempted while wearing a Steelers uniform.
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Ravens Promote Le’Veon Bell, Jaguars Cut Ex-Steelers Lineman