Former NFL running back Le’Veon Bell was arrested Sunday in Canton, Ohio, in connection with a child support case, according to TMZ.
Bell, 34, was reportedly taken into custody on a warrant tied to unpaid child support out of Michigan. He lives in California, but was in Canton for an autograph signing before the arrest. The mall’s website listed him for a meet-and-greet event at Belden Village Mall.
TMZ said Bell’s attorney, Thomas Shaffer, described the arrest as being related to “child support payments, or an alleged lack thereof.” Shaffer also told TMZ that Bell has been “struggling to make support payments.”
TMZ released Bell’s mugshot on Monday.
Bell last appeared in an NFL game in 2021. He entered the league in 2013 with the Steelers and spent five seasons in Pittsburgh, where he became one of the league’s top running backs and earned four All-Pro selections. He later played for the Jets, Chiefs, Ravens and Buccaneers, with his final time on Tampa Bay’s roster coming in the 2021 season.
In 2025, an Ohio jury found Bell liable for $25 million in a sexual abuse case brought by a female relative over events that occurred when she was a minor. His brother, La’Vonte, a co-defendant, was ordered to pay $11 million.
Per Fox 8, neither brother responded to Franklin County Court of Common Pleas summonses, which led to a default judgment against them. Neither was criminally charged.
According to TMZ, Bell owes more than $50,000 in child support. The case originated in Michigan, where the child lives.
Bell’s jail record shows he is being held on behalf of “another agency,” per Fox 8.
In Other News...
Steelers Rookie Is Already Stirring A Familiar Aaron Rodgers Debate
Germie Bernard has already given Steelers fans a little offseason intrigue before taking an NFL snap, and it starts with the rookie receivers new number and the familiar name behind it. Drafted in the second round out of Alabama, Bernard arrives in Pittsburgh with momentum from a productive final college season and the kind of versatility that made him appealing in the first place, especially after the Steelers identified him as a player who can work out of the slot and grow in a veteran locker room.
Bernards choice of No. 17, inspired by Davante Adams, is the sort of detail that naturally gets noticed around any quarterback conversation, especially with Aaron Rodgers now in the picture. The Steelers are planning to bring Bernard along gradually alongside Roman Wilson, but the number alone has already nudged the discussion toward a very specific kind of receiver-quarterback connection, one that Pittsburgh would love to see develop in its own way. [Read more 🡒]
New Kenny Pickett Twist Makes Steelers Look Even Smarter
Kenny Picketts NFL path has taken another turn, and it circles back to the same theme that followed him out of Pittsburgh in the first place: he wanted a real chance to win a job. Pat Narduzzi said Pickett asked for a trade from the Eagles because he felt he could not beat out Jalen Hurts, which adds a new layer to the quarterbacks already winding journey through Philadelphia, Cleveland and Las Vegas before landing with Carolina.
For the Steelers, the latest twist only sharpens the logic of moving on when they did. Pickett had already asked out of Pittsburgh after the team brought in Russell Wilson in 2024, and now he is on a one-year deal with the Panthers as a backup to Bryce Young. It is the kind of development that makes an old decision look cleaner in hindsight, even if the quarterback search in Pittsburgh never really stops feeling settled. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Linked To Another Big Weapon For Rodgers Offense
The Steelers have already made one notable move to reshape their passing game by acquiring Michael Pittman Jr., but the conversation around Aaron Rodgers offense may not be done. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report recently pointed to Pittsburgh as a logical landing spot for another proven playmaker, one with a track record of doing damage both as a receiver and with the ball in his hands.
Deebo Samuel spent the 2025 season with the Washington Commanders after building his reputation with the San Francisco 49ers, and his name now sits in the middle of a familiar kind of Steelers speculation. If Pittsburgh is serious about surrounding Rodgers with more answers on offense, Samuel would fit the profile of a player who could change the shape of the unit, even if the next step in that pursuit is still to be determined. [Read more 🡒]