Leonard Fournette has (finally) signed with the Buffalo Bills.
According to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, the Bills (5-3) will be adding Fournette to their practice squad. The team has yet to officially announce the transaction.
Fournette, 28, previously had a free-agent workout scheduled in Buffalo earlier this month. It was anticipated that afterward he would sign with the team but the workout was canceled.
It appears something changed then… and has again.
At the time, it’s unknown what happened. There was speculation that Buffalo expected to lose running back Ty Johnson off their practice squad and did not.
Days after the initial Fournette connection, Johnson was signed to Buffalo’s 53-man roster and has gone on to make special teams contributions.
Fournette’s workout was originally scheduled after running back Damien Harris sustained a neck injury and has his been deemed out indefinitely. It’s unclear if Harris will return this season.
Over that same time period, veteran Latavius Murray has struggled as Buffalo’s secondary option in the backfield to James Cook. In Week 8’s 24-18 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw Murray rush five times for only seven yards.
Fournette was a first-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017. He spent three years there and the past three with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He won a Super Bowl with the Bucs but asked for his release in March after Tampa began to prepare for life without quarterback Tom Brady.
A 6-foot, 228 bruising back, Fournette has averaged four yards per carry in his career and has 4,478 career rushing yards. Even with his size, Fournette has a pass-catching ability as well with 312 career catches with 2,219 receiving yards.
In 2022, Fournette appeared in 16 games with the Bucs and put up 1,191 all-purpose yards. He has 41 total touchdowns in his career.
Fournette’s addition comes on the heels of Tuesday’s 4 p.m. trade deadline. Stay tuned to Bills Wire for all updates before and after the deadline.
[lawrence-related id=125626,125658,125650]