Former All-Pro running back Le'Veon Bell says he will pursue boxing full-time

Former NFL All-Pro running back Le’Veon Bell said in a press appearance that he will pursue his boxing career full-time instead of the NFL. Bell is scheduled to fight another former All-Pro running back in Adrian Peterson on July 30 in a heavyweight boxing match, and Bell indicated that this is not a one-time event for him.

Le’Veon Bell switching from football to boxing

“Free agent running back Le’Veon Bell, who is set to box Adrian Peterson later this month, said today that he won’t play football this upcoming season. He wants to focus on his boxing career,” explained Pro Football Focus’ Ari Meirov on Tuesday.

“This is not a one-off,” said Bell. “This will be an introduction to everyone on what I’ve been doing.”

Bell and Peterson both played on NFL teams last season, although their announced fight this July raised questions about their future in football. While Peterson spoke on Tuesday about how he’s leaving the door open for an NFL return after their fight, Bell’s comments made it clear that he is pursuing boxing full-time now that his NFL career appears to be over.

Peterson was drafted seventh overall in 2007 by the Minnesota Vikings after a career at Oklahoma. He played in the NFL as recently as last season with the Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks. The former MVP has totaled 17,392 yards from scrimmages during his career. He totaled 126 touchdowns as well during his 15 seasons with seven teams.

Meanwhile, Bell is the one who has been interested in pursuing a boxing career post-football. Bell was drafted 48th overall out of Michigan State by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2013. He also made rosters as recently as last season with both Baltimore and Tampa Bay. A three time Pro Bowler, Bell totaled 9,843 scrimmage yards and 51 total touchdowns with five teams.