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Few running backs have entered college football or the NFL with as much hype and as many expectations as Leonard Fournette did. First, at LSU and then after the Jacksonville Jaguars made him the No. 4 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft.
In the end, the team that ended up benefitting the most from Fournette’s talent was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who he helped lead to a Super Bowl win in 2020 and seemed on his way to getting another shot at the title in 2021 before injuries ended his season.
Now, Fournette is trying to get a job with another NFL team in 2024 after he played just two games with the Buffalo Bills in 2023.
Fournette’s agents, Ari Nissim and Pete Capra, recently told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Fournette is “motivated to continue his NFL career” even though he hasn’t averaged over 4.0 yards per carry since 2021.
“Leonard’s in the best shape of his career and I expect he will have a new home soon,” Nissim told Schefter.
In 2020, Fournette earned the nickname “Playoff Lenny” after he had 448 yards of total offense and 4 touchdowns in four playoff games, capped by 135 yards of total offense and 1 touchdown in a 31-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.
From Blue-Chip Recruit to Top NFL Draft Pick
Fournette was the No. 1 high school football recruit in the country coming out of St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, Louisiana, as part of the Class of 2014. He chose to stay in his home state and play for LSU and had one of the greatest seasons for a running back in school history in 2015 when he rushed for 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns in just 11 games.
Fournette only played 7 games in 2016 but was still selected No. 4 overall by the Jaguars, where he rushed for over 1,000 yards in two of his first three seasons but was still released following the 2019 season.
Fournette missed 12 games due to injuries or suspensions over his first three seasons but it was his demeanor that turned the franchise against him — most notably with a stinging rebuke of Fournette and running back T.J. Yeldon following the 2018 regular-season finale agains the Houston Texans.
“I am disappointed in the behavior today from T.J. Yeldon and Leonard Fournette,” Jacksonville executive vice president Tom Coughlin told ESPN after the game. “They were disrespectful, selfish and their behavior was unbecoming that of a professional football player.”
Fournette Bounced Back With Buccaneers
Fournette signed a 1-year, $2 million contract with the Buccaneers in 2020 and after helping lead them to a Super Bowl, followed that with a 1,266 yards of total offense and 10 touchdowns in 2021.
The Buccaneers rewarded Fournette with a 3-year, $21 million contract in March 2022 but his production dropped off dramatically running the ball — he averaged just 3.5 yards per carry in 2022 and was released by Tampa Bay.
The Bills put Fournette on the practice squad in Oct. 2023 before his two-game stint in which he had just 12 carries for 40 yards. In seven NFL seasons, Fournette has $37.9 million in career earnings despite having signed contracts amounting to approximately $54 million.
