Leonard Fournette unclaimed on waivers

Posted by Michael David Smith on September 1, 2020, 4:54 PM EDT
Getty Images

No one wants Leonard Fournette. At least not at a $4.167 million salary.

Fournette has officially gone unclaimed on waivers, meaning all 31 other teams passed on an opportunity to bring the former Jaguars running back and his contract onto their roster.

Now Fournette becomes an unrestricted free agent who can shop himself to any NFL team. That he didn’t have any takers on waivers suggests he may not get the kind of contract offer he wants, but he’ll have some suitors.

Fournette has broken some big, highlight-reel runs in his three years in the NFL, but he hasn’t done it consistently enough to live up to expectations as the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft. Expectations will be a lot lower in his next stop, and perhaps that will be a good opportunity for him.

Permalink 45 Comments Feed for comments Back to top

45 responses to “Leonard Fournette unclaimed on waivers”

  4. No team wants to pay him $4M if they don’t have to… Jacksonville will owe Fournette that and since he does not have offset language in his deal, as soon as he wins his grievance against the team, which he will win, he will collect his salary plus whatever he gets from whatever team he signs with..

  7. One of the things I’ve become more and more aware of as I get older is how some players just come off as a headache. Fournette is one of them

  9. Dang I forgot they took him with the 4th pick In the draft. He must’ve slapped a coach in the face or threatened the owner or something. Not many teams would be willing to cut ties with that high of a draft pick after only 3 seasons.

  10. I think you might be getting Fournette confused with Earl Thomas here. Otherwise, you’re making zero sense.

    NinersFan1973 says:
    No team wants to pay him $4M if they don’t have to… Jacksonville will owe Fournette that and since he does not have offset language in his deal, as soon as he wins his grievance against the team, which he will win, he will collect his salary plus whatever he gets from whatever team he signs with..

  11. AP reporter Mark Long said multiple Jaguars players went to coaches and said they wanted Fournette gone. No team would claim him with that salary and his reputation.

  12. Bl00dwerK says:
    September 1, 2020 at 4:58 pm
    Talent barely (sometimes) makes up for laziness.
    ——————————-

    And how many practices did you go to that helped you determine he was lazy? It’s easy to disparage people behind a keyboard.

  16. footballpat says:

    And how many practices did you go to that helped you determine he was lazy? It’s easy to disparage people behind a keyboard.

    —————————————-

    That’s the story on Fournette. He’s not a bad guy in the sense that he’s out causing trouble but he is lazy and not much of a team player. It’s been reported multiple times that he shows up late to meetings, is the last one in the building and first one out and no-shows treatment sessions.

  17. RBs come a dime a baker’s dozen in the NFL, a brutal position with relatively little pay for the car wreck punishment their bodies take.

  19. I’m surprised no one claimed him. $4M for a 1,600-yard back is a relative bargain. I imagine there was a realization (or maybe a “realization” issued by his agent behind the scenes) that it’s not going to work out well if Fournette is claimed into a situation he doesn’t want.

  20. Going unclaimed is a sure sign that teams see this guy as toxic. If he wants a career in the league, he’s going to have to get his head right and become a team player. Otherwise, he’s done.

  22. NinersFan1973 says:
    No team wants to pay him $4M if they don’t have to… Jacksonville will owe Fournette that and since he does not have offset language in his deal, as soon as he wins his grievance against the team, which he will win, he will collect his salary plus whatever he gets from whatever team he signs with.
    ————————————-
    He was told that the guaranteed money was no longer guaranteed after being suspended. Being ejected from a game for fighting couldn’t be detrimental to the team, right? Need I mention other things he has done? Yeah, it’s automatic that he’ll win a grievance- not! Show up late to work and leave early several times. Report back with what your supervisor tells you.

  23. jakethesnake123 says:
    September 1, 2020 at 5:06 pm
    BB on line one!
    ———————-
    I guess if every internet commenter over the past 10 years predicts that every free agent will go to the pats, they are likely to be right SOME of the time.

    Bonus points for a “BB is a genius for picking him up/passing on him” follow up comment next week.

  24. Christopher Allan says:
    September 1, 2020 at 6:08 pm
    NinersFan1973 says:
    No team wants to pay him $4M if they don’t have to… Jacksonville will owe Fournette that and since he does not have offset language in his deal, as soon as he wins his grievance against the team, which he will win, he will collect his salary plus whatever he gets from whatever team he signs with.
    ————————————-
    He was told that the guaranteed money was no longer guaranteed after being suspended. Being ejected from a game for fighting couldn’t be detrimental to the team, right? Need I mention other things he has done? Yeah, it’s automatic that he’ll win a grievance- not! Show up late to work and leave early several times. Report back with what your supervisor tells you
    _________________________

    Don’t forget when he was ejected from the game for throwing a punch, he was on the sideline and ran to fight. It wasn’t like he was involved on a play that got too physical. He wasn’t even on the field and he ran to the endzone to start the fight. He is not going to win his grievance.

  26. Its amazing some players think their big paychecks will always be there. Looks like he’ll spend the next 3 years trying to get back to the income he was making right now. Oh, by the way, sign with Tampa Bay.

  27. classclown71 says:
    September 1, 2020 at 5:35 pm
    The Saints should sign him and play hardball with Alvin Kamara…

    ————————————-
    If the Saints tried saying they can fall back on Fournette as a replacement then Kamaras agent might hurt himself laughing.

  29. Lol I love the dingbats who keep saying Bears are a fit.

    He’s not even in David Montgomery’s LEAGUE.

  30. Panthers fan-thanks for making our decision easy. Many were hoping he would fall to us. Thanks Jags for passing on Christian McCaffery who is obviously too small to be an every down back…NOT

  31. Fournette is currently the hottest free agent on the market and will be signed in the next 48 hours. He’s a monster RB that had 76 receptions last year. Yeah, you read that right, 76 receptions. The rumor is he’s a Southern guy (from New Orleans) and doesn’t want to play far from home. The Saints aren’t trading Kamara. That was a business tactic, like all the times Brady put his house up for sale in NE. The Dolphins and Buccaneers are the obvious choices since both are in the South and need an RB1.

  32. “Don’t forget when he was ejected from the game for throwing a punch, he was on the sideline and ran to fight. It wasn’t like he was involved on a play that got too physical. He wasn’t even on the field and he ran to the endzone to start the fight. He is not going to win his grievance.”

    I think he was trying to show his teammates he would stick up for them but he just isn’t too well-versed about the rules for such a stunt. “I can’t do that? Ohhhh.”

  33. Fournette would be a complement to Kamara…Thunder & Lightning…Fournette caught 76 passes last year…I think he would be a good addition at least for the 2020 season…

  35. Cut to NFL media and non Jax-fans trying to decide whether to pile on the Jags for waiving him at this point, or commend them for manning up to right a locker room and culture that veered off-track after a bit of success…like a million social media commenters always say teams other than their own should do when it happens elsewhere

  36. Doesn’t help when your team, QB, O-Line, & coaches continually suck. Chicago & Philadelphia you’re on the clock.

  37. I’m surprised no one rolled the dice for 4.2. I can only guess there’s more to this story. Fournette had 1600 yards last year so he’s no joke. If he’s not on a team in the next few days I’ll have to assume he did something terrible, or is delusional about his actual value

  38. Often “injured” and takes forever to “heal”….lazy ? Had same issues at LSU. Add locker room problem and just not worth it…maybe league minimum with no guarantees?

  40. He’s a guy that has been over hyped in college and entering the pro’s. He is a good player, but nothing special. If he can accept that and the pay that goes with that, he will have a very good pro career. If not, he will be nothing but a headache.

  43. AP reporter Mark Long said multiple Jaguars players went to coaches and said they wanted Fournette gone. No team would claim him with that salary and his reputation.

    That’s the first I’ve heard of that but I’m not surprised. I’m also not surprised nobody claimed him on waivers in spite of all the people on here insisting he’s a steal at $4M. It appears as if NFL teams disagree as nobody claimed him.

    Bad apple? Stuff like that gets around and teams are becoming less and less willing to take a locker room killer like that. RBs and safeties (Earl Thomas) aren’t positions where teams are willing to put up with it.

  44. team cancers with lots of talent get the league min not 4.1 mil…he’s lucky tho team cancers with no talent don’t even get jobs

  45. This cancer has surpassed 4.0 yards a carry exactly once in his career. What’s hard to understand about that? He’s a bust and a headcase. And he’s paid like he was the 4th overall pick three years ago. And you don’t overpay running backs. Especially headcase running backs that fail to produce. Again, what is hard to understand about that?

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to leave a comment. Not a member? Register now!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.