Buccaneers: Leonard Fournette to run it back on one-year deal

Leonard Fournette takes a hometown discount to re-up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette is betting on himself by signing a team-friendly, one-year deal to stay with the defending Super Bowl champions in his NFL free agency.

Of course, seeing how Playoff Lenny performed this January and looking at the Buccaneers roster, it’s a pretty solid bet for Fournette to make.

Fournette returns to Tampa Bay on a one-year deal worth $4 million. He originally landed in Tampa Bay last offseason after three years with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who cut him loose as part of — well no one really knows what’s going on in Duval. But we do know what’s going on with Fournette, who reintroduced himself to the football public as a key cog in the Buccaneers Super Bowl run last season.

In keeping with the offseason theme in Tampa, Fournette is betting on himself to run it back.

Leonard Fournette returns to Tampa Bay Buccaneers on one-year contract

Despite all the talent in the world, Fournette’s NFL career has largely underwhelmed coming out of LSU, especially given all the great players who were taken after him (Christian McCaffrey, Patrick Mahomes, etc.). However, he really came on during the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl run and was a major catalyst for them hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. The prove-it deal makes sense here.

Fournette will obviously split time with Ronald Jones in the Tampa Bay backfield. Though Jones had a better 2020 season than Fournette, them being able to play off each other helped give the Buccaneers a well-rounded offense to complement Tom Brady and the passing game. Offensive balance and a phenomenal pass rush are what catapulted the Buccaneers to the league’s summit.

Somehow, the Buccaneers have been able to bring back pretty much whoever they want in 2021.