Getty NFL Network's Ryan Leaf called head coach Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers one of the best landing spots for running back Leonard Fournette.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were connected to 4-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook after his release from the Minnesota Vikings on June 9.
But on June 14, former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf named the Steelers one of the top possible landing spots for a different veteran running back — Leonard Fournette.
“You put [Leonard Fournette] in the backfield with Najee [Harris], you get down near, inside the 10-yard line, Kenny Pickett won’t even have to throw the ball,” Leaf said on NFL Network’s Good Morning, Football. “He just turns around, hands it off to his guys, get in the end zone. That’s how Pittsburgh takes the AFC North.”
Leaf’s co-host Jason McCourty concurred that Harris and Fournette would be a lethal 1-2 punch in Pittsburgh’s backfield.
“From a defensive perspective, I do not want to play against Najee Harris and Leonard Fournette,” McCourty said in response to Leaf. “I want no part of that. Not at all. Cold, hot, it doesn’t matter.”
Fournette rushed for 668 yards and 3 touchdowns while also posting 73 receptions for 523 receiving yards with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022. Fournette has averaged nearly 82 yards from scrimmage per game over the last two seasons.
Steelers’ Need at Running Back
The Steelers signing a veteran running back has become a popular rumor over the last week.
Fox Sports’ Joy Taylor called the Steelers a “very interesting” spot for Dalvin Cook.
“When I think of the Steelers’ offensive identity, they always have fast, big wide receivers. They have a solid running game. They have Najee Harris, but it’s a two-back system pretty much anywhere you go now,” Taylor said on Fox Sports’ Speak on June 8. “They don’t want to wear somebody down.
“And if you have a creative offensive coordinator, you can really utilize a guy like Dalvin Cook, who can blast off.”
With Harris and Jaylen Warren, though, signing Cook is probably unlikely for the Steelers. However, Cook could still have an impact on who Pittsburgh might acquire as a depth running back this offseason.
The position is a need for the Steelers, as the backs behind Harris and Warren only have a combined 60 carries in the NFL.
Targeting Fournette allows the Steelers to avoid getting into a bidding war for Cook or having to wait for the fallout of Cook signing elsewhere before adding another running back.
How Leonard Fournette Could Fit With Steelers
As Leaf argued, the Steelers should be attracted to Fournette’s running power. He’s rushed for 34 touchdowns and scored 7 receiving touchdowns in his six-year career. Of those 41 scores, 35 of them were inside the 11-yard line.
Fournette’s ability as a runner and pass catcher should also be appealing for the Steelers. In both of the last two seasons, he’s had at least 450 rushing and receiving yards.
Furthermore, in three of his past four campaigns, Fournette has recorded at least 69 receptions.
The 28-year-old led the Buccaneers in rushing last season, but he has experience sharing the backfield. So while he could cut into Warren’s snaps, Harris should still play plenty even if the Steelers signed Fournette.
That’s one advantage Fournette would have over Cook, who is likely looking to be the clear-cut RB1 on his new team. He should also demand a cheaper salary than Cook.
Signing Fournette, though, isn’t a slam dunk for the Steelers. Steelers Depot’s Josh Carney conceived that Pittsburgh has a need for a No. 3 option at running back, but he wrote that “Fournette isn’t that guy.”
“He’s not going to play special teams, and likely won’t be thrilled taking a backseat, especially after he was a workhorse the last two seasons in Tampa Bay with a combined 511 touches in 2021 and 2022,” Carney wrote. “On paper, it’s a fun pairing, and would undoubtably be a fun pairing in Madden, too.
“But in reality, it doesn’t make much sense overall considering the dynamic in the running back room currently.”
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Steelers Encouraged to Target Former Top 10 Draft Pick