A source tells SNY NFL Insider Ralph Vacchiano that the Jets had been trying to trade Bell for several weeks, but finding a suitor proved to be difficult, even for a late-round pick.
After Bell was clearly unhappy with the way he was used on Sunday and vented via social media, this decision was made, per Vacchiano. The Jets gave Bell's agent permission to seek a deal on Monday, sources tell Vacchiano. But between Douglas and Bell's agent, they felt they had spoken to every team without finding a taker.
The Jets were even willing to eat some of his salary, but teams were more wary of the $8 million injury guarantee Bell had on his deal for 2021. Given Bell's injuries the last two years, other teams felt that was too big of a risk. That injury guarantee was an issue for the Jets, too, which partially explains why the team didn't wait until closer to the deadline to try to deal him. If Bell had gotten injured between now and the end of the season, the Jets would've been on the hook for another $8 million in 2021 whether he was with the team or not.
Vacchiano notes that Bell's entire $8.5 million salary was guaranteed this season. He was also guaranteed $4.5 million in bonuses, including another $2.5 million that has to be paid by the end of the month. Bell's $15.4 million cap number stays on the books.
Cutting Bell does free up $9.4 million for the Jets on the 2021 salary cap, though he'll still count for $4 million in dead money.
Bell, meanwhile, appears to be happy with the decision, tweeting out the following while saying he's "got a lot to prove":
