Leonard Fournette Re-Signs with Buccaneers on $21M, 3-Year Contract. However, the Buccaneers were ‘unhappy’ with Fournette’s 260 lbs.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers re-signed running back Leonard Fournette in 2021 for a three-year, $21 million contract through to the 2024 season.
The deal carries a maximum value of $24 million. (Source: Ian Rapoport, NFL Network)
Fournette has spent the earlier two seasons with the Buccaneers after he played his first three years with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he got selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft.
In the Off-season, Fournette had posted what was seen as a potential goodbye to the Buccaneers on social media. However, the post was deleted shortly after legendary quarterback Tom Brady decided to end his short retirement.
The question was whether Fournette was looking for the best fit or just wanted to cash in on his last year’s success after playing the previous two seasons on team-friendly deals—$2 million in 2020 and $3.25 million in 2021.
Buccaneers Reaction to Fournette Weight gain
Leonard Fournette, the Tampa Bay running back, came to minicamp last month, weighing about 30 pounds more than his registered weight of 228. (Source: Rick Stroud, Tampa Bay Times)
“Leonard was a donut shy of 260 the last time we saw”, Stroud recently said on his podcast. “He definitely didn’t look like someone who could play.”
Fournette, who is 27, did not show up for voluntary OTAs this previous spring. However, upon his arrival at mandatory minicamp, the Buccaneers staff found that he wasn’t in game-day shape.
“Coaches were unhappy, and that’s an underestimation when he didn’t join in the OTAs. But he did show up at the mandatory minicamp weighing close to 260,” Stroud said. “And that’s not a good sign for a guy that you just spent a lot of money on a three-year contract on.”
Fournette, who is currently in his third year with the Buccaneers, reacted to the claims. He tweeted, “No, I weighed 245. Y’all say anything,” according to a screenshot posted on TMZ.
Though Fournette has been one of Tom Brady’s preferred targets, the team, which is headed under first-year head coach Todd Bowles, also added rookie running back Rashaad White earlier this spring. Veterans Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Kenjon Barner, and Giovani Bernard are also on the team roster, should their services be needed for the time being.
The Buccaneers are due to report to training camp later this month.
Subscribe and comment down below if you like this content.