FOXBOROUGH, Ma. -- Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell left his team's 36-17 AFC Championship Game loss to the New England Patriots in the first half Sunday with a left groin injury, and he did not return.
Bell revealed after the game that he had played through a groin issue for weeks until it flared up.
"I had no burst anymore," Bell said.
After breaking franchise records for single-game rushing performances in the regular season and the playoffs, Bell's monster season ended with a quiet 20 yards on six carries.
Bell said the injury occurred on the second play of the game and "progressively got worse" despite his attempts to re-enter the game.
"I felt like I was holding the team back," Bell said from his locker after the game. "It's real disappointing. We work so hard to get here. I felt like I had done a lot to help us get here. To not play and not go to battle with my teammates, it hurt."
After doctors evaluated Bell, he returned for a 2-yard run in the second quarter but looked compromised.
"There was a nice seam, I just felt like I couldn't get there," he said.
Bell returned to the sideline in the second half but never took the field.
Bell took to Twitter later Sunday to emphasize he's already set his sights on next season.
I'll be back....stronger! We'll be back....stronger! #SteelerNation all day #Juice
— Le'Veon Bell (@L_Bell26) January 23, 2017
DeAngelo Williams rushed for 34 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown in relief of Bell.
Coming into the game, Bell had rushed for a combined 337 yards in the 2017 AFC playoffs, an NFL record for a running back's first two career playoff games.