Former Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon has had a hard time finding his groove in the NFL since being drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Spending a couple years with the Jaguars was rough for Yeldon, he was never able to become the franchise’s lead back. He was acting in a complimentary role to Chris Ivory and, eventually, Leonard Fournette.
After four years in Jacksonville, Yeldon left for Buffalo as an unrestricted free agent.
He signed for two years worth $3.2 million. It’s good that he’s getting paid, but I’m sure Yeldon would sacrifice some of that cash for time on the field.
The 2019 regular season was his opportunity to show that he can make a big impact, regardless of how many snaps he saw.
Unfortunately, he was never able to get that point across to Sean McDermott as he was responsible for 63 yards off of 17 carries – a very underwhelming performance for the once Alabama standout.
Those numbers led Yeldon to being the No. 4 ranked rusher on the team. He sits behind the rookie, Devin Singletary, NFL legend, Frank Gore and the team’s second-year quarterback, Josh Allen.
Expectations weren’t high for the Bills heading into 2019, and their run game wasn’t slated to be all too impressive. Yeldon was supposed to be the second-string back, in a supporting role to the aging Gore.
Singletary, the rookie running back from FAU, stole the show and became the lead in the backfield, thus forcing Yeldon even lower on the depth chart.
It’s become clear that he is nearing the point in his career where if he doesn’t “break out” and show the rest of the league that he’s still capable of being the main piece to a team’s backfield.
He has one year remaining on his contract with the Buffalo Bills and will then become an unrestricted free agent. It’s unclear as to if the Bills will keep Yeldon or cut him, but no matter what happens he will continue to do what he does best, fight for a spot.
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