The Buffalo Bills signed running back Leonard Fournette, hoping he’ll make contributions to the team’s offense during the latter half of the 2023 season.
Fournette, 28, was a free agent for the first half of the season but he said it wasn’t for a lack of interest.
Fournette said the Bills (5-3) weren’t the only team looking to sign him. However, he believed they were the right one for him.
“I had a couple teams reach out to me. But I really wanted to do what’s best for me, a fresh start out here in Buffalo,” Fournette said. “I have a lot left in the tank to play, it was all about the right opportunity.”
Fournette heading to Buffalo was a bit of time in the making, too. Earlier in October, Fournette previously had a free-agent workout scheduled with the Bills. It was anticipated that afterward he would sign with the team but the workout was canceled.
It appears the two sides remained in contact since he eventually did join the team. Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane acknowledged there had been previous conversations with Fournette.
“We’ve been talking to Leonard (for) a little bit,” Beane said via video conference. “At this point, he was ready to join a team, so I’m excited to get him here.”
But it still remains to be seen how long until Fournette can make an impact. The big-bodied rusher said it could take anywhere from two-to-four weeks for him to fully get a grasp on the playbook, but it’s likely he’s brought along sooner than that after he learns a handful of plays he can play in.
As far as Buffalo’s upcoming matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals (4-3) on Sunday, it remains to be seem if Fournette plays. Since he signed with the team’s practice squad and not to the active roster, he’ll have to be called up for game day… which would take place on Saturday.
For more from Fournette on signing with the Bills, see the attached Bills Live clip below:
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