NFL CAREER – The New Orleans Saints signed Ronnie Bell to the practice squad in Week Six of the 2025 season, adding a versatile weapon who has experience in the slot and out wide. Bell, originally a seventh round pick (253rd overall) by the San Francisco 49ers out of Michigan, showed his terrific ball skills with an acrobatic touchdown grab in the season finale at Atlanta. Through three NFL seasons with San Francisco (2023-24), Detroit (2025-practice squad) and New Orleans (2025), Bell has accumulated ten receptions for 113 yards (11.3 avg.) and four touchdowns with a 40% touchdown-reception rate to go with four special teams tackles, two kickoff returns for 23 yards and ten punt returns for 70 yards. In 2026, he will take advantage of his first full offseason with the Black and Gold and will compete for snaps in New Orleans' receiver rotation.
CAREER TRANSACTIONS – Signed by New Orleans Saints to active roster, 1/3/26; Elevated (standard) to active roster by New Orleans, 12/27/25; Signed to New Orleans practice squad, 10/7/25; Practice squad contract terminated by Detroit Lions, 9/20/25; Signed to Detroit practice squad, 8/27/25; Waived by Detroit, 8/26/25; Signed by Detroit to reserve/future contract, 1/21/25; Signed by San Francisco to practice squad, 12/3/24; Waived by San Francisco, 11/30/24; Signed by San Francisco to a four-year contract, 5/12/23; Selected by San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round (253rd overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft.
2025 – Spending the first four weeks of the season on the Detroit Lions practice squad and then joining the Saints practice roster in Week Six. Played in two games for New Orleans and had two receptions for 23 yards, including one touchdown in the season finale at Atlanta, 1/4/26…Also added one special teams tackle in his Saints debut at Tennessee, Dec. 28. 2024 – Appeared in nine games and had two receptions for 22 yards and one kickoff return for 23 yards in his final season in San Francisco. 2023 – Played in all 17 regular season games as a rookie for the San Francisco 49ers, reeling in six catches for 88 yards, three of them touchdowns, a kickoff return, ten punt returns for 70 yards, three special teams stops and one coverage forced fumble…Recorded season-high two receptions for 24 yards with his first career TD grab (nine yards), adding a special teams stop, vs. New York Giants, Sept. 21…Added one special teams tackle at Cleveland, Oct. 15…Returned two punts for 17 yards, including career-long 17-yard runback at Washington, Dec. 31
COLLEGE – Played five seasons at Michigan (2018-22) and was a two-time team captain, logging 145 receptions for 2,269 yards (15.6 avg.) and nine touchdowns. He also recorded nine carries for 30 yards (3.3 avg.) and one touchdown…A third-team All-Big Ten selection his final season, when he caught 62 passes for 889 yards (14.3 avg.) with four TDs and carried three times for 23 yards (7.7 avg.) with one TD…In 2021, started one game and caught a 76-yard TD…Started all six games in the COVID-19 abbreviated Big Ten season in 2020 and finished with 26 receptions for 401 yards (15.4 avg.) with one TD…Appeared in 13 games (10 starts) as a sophomore in 2019 and registered 48 receptions for 758 yards and one TD…As a freshman in 2018, appeared in all 13 games and brought in eight receptions for 145 yards and one TD…Majored in English.
PERSONAL – Attended Park Hill (Kansas City, Mo.) HS, where he ended his career ranked in the top three in Missouri state history in receptions (159), receiving yards (2,476) and touchdowns (31)…Originally committed to play basketball at Missouri State before signing with Michigan…Bell comes from a football family. His brother, Kendrick, is a former QB at Park Hill and a Michigan wideout. His father, Aaron, is a longtime coach who currently serves as the wide receivers coach at Missouri Western. Both Ronnie and Kendrick were able to play for their father at Park Hill as he served as an assistant coach at the school prior to joining the staff at Missouri Western…Leading up to the week of the 2023 NFL Draft, Bell decided to give back to his community and purchase a set of brand new jerseys for the Park Hill girl's youth basketball program.
