After Earning $45 Million In The NFL, Le'Veon Bell Cashed In His Pension To Pay Child Support… And Was Still Arrested

Le'Veon Bell made nearly $45 million during his NFL career. At his peak, he was arguably the best running back in football. He earned millions of dollars per season, signed one of the league's largest running-back contracts, and once willingly forfeited an entire $14.5 million salary because he believed an even bigger payday was waiting.

Seven years after making that extraordinary gamble, Bell has encountered a very different kind of financial problem.

The former Pittsburgh Steelers star was arrested in Ohio over the weekend on a Michigan warrant connected to unpaid child support. Even more strikingly, Bell's attorney says the retired running back had already cashed in part of his NFL pension to make a $50,000 child-support payment approximately six months earlier.

Bell was in the Canton area for a meet-and-greet at a shopping mall when police took him into custody. Stark County records described the arrest as a "courtesy hold for another agency," meaning Ohio authorities were holding him on behalf of Michigan. The Michigan Attorney General's Office reportedly became involved because of the amount at issue in the child-support case.

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A Payment Based On His Former NFL Income

Bell's attorney, Thomas Shaffer, argues that the underlying problem is not simply that his client refuses to pay. According to Shaffer, Bell's required payments are still being calculated using the much higher income he earned as an NFL player and professional boxer.

"Six months ago, he cashed in an NFL pension to pay $50,000 in child support for that child," Shaffer told the Canton Repository.

Shaffer described the situation as a "revolving door," arguing that Bell is being required to pay an amount that no longer reflects his actual income. Bell has not appeared in an NFL game since 2021, and his post-football pursuits have not generated anything approaching an NFL salary.

The pension detail is particularly startling considering how much Bell earned during his playing career.

Bell collected $44.8 million in NFL salary between 2013 and 2021.

Of course, gross career earnings are not the same thing as money in the bank. Taxes, agent commissions, training expenses, legal fees, homes, family obligations, and years of personal spending can dramatically reduce what an athlete retains.

But Bell's financial trajectory remains remarkable because he did not merely earn $45 million. He also voluntarily walked away from another $14.5 million.

The Most Famous Holdout In NFL History

Bell became a superstar after the Steelers selected him in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

Between 2014 and 2017, he was chosen for three Pro Bowls and named First-team All-Pro twice. His combination of rushing and receiving ability made him one of the most valuable offensive players in football.

After earning $12.1 million under the franchise tag in 2017, Bell wanted a long-term contract with substantial guaranteed money. Pittsburgh placed a second franchise tag on him for 2018 that would have paid approximately $14.5 million.

Bell refused to sign it.

Each week he remained away from the Steelers, he gave up nearly $853,000. He ultimately sat out the entire season, forfeiting all $14.5 million.

The gamble appeared to pay off when Bell signed a four-year, $52.5 million deal with the New York Jets in 2019. But the advertised contract value was misleading. The Jets released him after just 17 games, during which he earned approximately $27.5 million.

Bell then bounced between the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played his final NFL game in January 2022.

After leaving football, Bell released music and pursued boxing. His most notable victory came in 2022, when he knocked out fellow former NFL running back Adrian Peterson in an exhibition match.

More Legal And Financial Pressure

The child-support case is not Bell's only major legal complication.

In 2025, a jury awarded one of his cousins $25 million in a civil lawsuit involving allegations of sexual assault dating to when Bell was under 18. The award followed a default judgment entered after Bell failed to respond to the lawsuit.

Bell has denied the allegations through his legal team. His attorneys contend that he was never properly served and have sought to overturn the judgment.

That judgment is separate from the Michigan child-support case that led to his Ohio arrest.

There is still much that is unknown, including the precise amount Bell allegedly owed when the warrant was issued and whether a court will agree to recalculate his ongoing payments based on his post-NFL income.

What is clear is that Bell's financial circumstances look very different from the days when he could afford to reject a guaranteed $14.5 million salary.