Just three years ago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Super Bowl championship in Tom Brady’s first season with them.
Obviously, a lion’s share of the credit went to Brady, who is generally considered the greatest quarterback and overall player in NFL history, but the Buccaneers had a strong cast around him that eased his transition after 20 years with the New England Patriots.
Running back Leonard Fournette was a key part of that cast, but he struggled last year with the Buffalo Bills and remains a free agent with training camp approaching.
Per Adam Schefter, he’s intent on being picked up by an NFL team before the new season begins.
Free-agent RB Leonard Fournette is motivated to continue his NFL career, intends to sign with a team before the season, and has hired his former agent Ari Nissim, and Pat Capra, both of @ChaseYourLegend, to help in that pursuit. “Leonard’s in the best shape of his career and I…
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 9, 2024
Fournette, who was the No. 4 pick in the 2017 draft after starring at Louisiana State University, spent his first three pro seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars before joining Tampa Bay for the 2020 season.
During that triumphant 2020 campaign, he had 367 rushing yards and six touchdowns mainly as a backup to Ronald Jones II, but in the playoffs, he came up big.
He started all four postseason games and totaled 300 rushing yards, 148 receiving yards and four total touchdowns, including 89 rushing yards, 46 receiving yards and a touchdown in the Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
A shoulder injury limited Fournette to just two games in 2023, but if he’s healthy and spry, the 29-year-old should be able to be productive, at least as an RB2.
There are a number of teams, especially contending teams, that could use him as a contributor to their running back room with training camp just two weeks away.
