Former NFL Star Le’Veon Bell Jailed Over Child Support

Updated July 20, 2026, 10:35 a.m. ET

What Happened?

Imagine you owe money to help take care of your child. If you don’t pay it the way a court says you should, you can get in trouble. That’s what happened to Le’Veon Bell.

• Le’Veon Bell is a former running back (a player who runs with the football) for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• On July 20, he was put in the Stark County Jail because of child support payments he owes.
• Child support is money a parent pays to help raise their child.

How Was He Arrested?

Here is the simple step-by-step of how he ended up in jail:

1. On July 19, Bell was arrested by Jackson Township police.
2. The arrest was because of a warrant (like a permission slip from a court to catch someone) from the state of Michigan.
3. He was taken to Stark County Jail and is listed there as being held on a "courtesy hold for another agency" — meaning they are keeping him for another group (Michigan).

Important Point: Bell has a child in Michigan, and Michigan is the state that asked for him to be picked up.

Why Does His Lawyer Say It’s Unfair?

Bell’s attorney (his lawyer) is a man named Thomas Shaffer from Uniontown, Pennsylvania. He says Bell is being treated unfairly.

• Shaffer says Bell is being charged based on the big salary he made when he played football — but that’s not his life now.
• Bell was last in the NFL in 2021, when he played for the Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
• The court is using the money he made in 2020 with the Kansas City Chiefs to decide how much child support he owes.
• Shaffer says: "Six months ago he cashed in an NFL pension (retirement money from football) to pay $50,000 in child support for that child."

The Big Problem, According to the Lawyer

Shaffer explains it like this:

• Bell’s payments are still based on his old NFL salary AND his pro boxing career (fighting for money).
• Because the number is based on fake-high income, he pays an amount that "doesn’t reflect his true income."
• Shaffer calls it a "revolving door" — meaning it will never end until the court looks at what he really earns now.
• He says: "The court needs to reflect his true income."

Important Point: Because of the amount of money involved, the Michigan Attorney General’s Office (the top law team for the state) is also part of this.

A Normal Day Before Jail

Before all of this, on July 19, Bell was at Belden Village Mall in Jackson Township for a meet-and-greet event — a chance for fans to say hi and get autographs.

Summary

Le’Veon Bell, a former NFL running back, was jailed on July 20 in Stark County over child support for his child in Michigan. His lawyer says the court is using his old football and boxing money to decide payments, which isn’t fair since he hasn’t played in the NFL since 2021. Bell even used his NFL retirement money to pay $50,000 earlier. The state of Michigan, with its Attorney General, is involved, and his lawyer wants the court to use his real income now.

FAQ

1. What is child support?
Child support is money a parent pays to help cover things like food, clothes, and housing for their child.

2. Why is Le’Veon Bell in jail?
He was picked up on a Michigan warrant because of unpaid or disputed child support payments.

3. What does "courtesy hold" mean?
It means the local jail is holding him for another agency (in this case, Michigan) that asked for him.

4. Has Bell played football recently?
No. His last NFL season was 2021 with the Ravens and Buccaneers.

5. What does his lawyer want?
He wants the court to calculate child support using Bell’s current, real income instead of his old NFL and boxing earnings.