Leonard Fournette isn’t giving up on his NFL career.
After spending half of the 2023 season on Buffalo’s practice squad and appearing in only two games, the former first-round, No. 4 overall selection by Jacksonville is “motivated” and hopes to sign with a team before the 2024 campaign, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Fournette has changed representation, hiring his former agent with Roc Nation, Ari Nissim, and Pat Capra of Legend Agency to aid in his career revival efforts.
“Leonard’s in the best shape of his career and I expect he will have a new home soon,” Nissim said via Schefter.
Fournette signed with Buffalo after his release by Tampa Bay last offseason. He spent three seasons with the Buccaneers, joining them in 2020 during the franchise’s Super Bowl LV run with Tom Brady at quarterback.
But it was with the Jaguars when Fournette was his most productive, over his first three NFL seasons between 2017-19. He was a key cog in Jacksonville’s offense during its run to the 2017-18 AFC Championship game, rushing for 1,282 yards and 13 touchdowns between the regular and postseason as a rookie.
Through three regular seasons with the Jaguars, Fournette rushed 666 times for 2,631 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also posted 174 receptions for 1,009 yards and two scores.
The relationship soured along the way, however, with the Jaguars voiding Fournette’s contract guarantees following his 2018 suspension for fighting.
The team also fined him $99,000 for “selfish” behavior in the season finale that year — an inactive Fournette was observed sitting on the team bench during the game. But an NFLPA grievance overturned the punishment in 2019.
Unable to find a trade partner, Jacksonville waived Fournette during the 2020 preseason, with former head coach Doug Marrone citing performance as the reason for his release. The club’s decision was solidified with the emergence of then-rookie, undrafted free-agent James Robinson at running back.
Fournette has generated 4,518 yards and 34 touchdowns rushing and caught 312 passes for 2,219 yards and seven touchdowns over 81 career NFL appearances.