Buccaneers make release of Leonard Fournette official

Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Atlanta Falcons
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The Buccaneers have officially cut ties with running back Lenoard Fournette.

Tampa Bay released the running back after the start of the new league year at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

Fournette was not released with a post-June 1 designation to spread out the cap hit.

In 2022, Fournette recorded 668 yards on 189 carries, averaging just 3.5 yards per attempt. He also caught 73 passes for 523 yards with three touchdowns, bringing him up to 1,191 yards from scrimmage on the season.

Fournette, 28, will now seek his third NFL franchise. The No. 4 overall pick of the 2017 draft, Fournette has twice rushed for 1,000 yards in his career.

5 responses to “Buccaneers make release of Leonard Fournette official

  1. I remember in college they talked about this guy like he was going to be a mix of Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith. I can’t even see him getting drafted on the first day if they had NIL back then. He would be fat and rich before makinga team waste a pick on him.

  2. His days as an every down back are done, but he still has value as a 3rd down receiving back.

  3. He was tremendous in the 2020 Super Bowl run – for that, Bucs fans will always appreciate him.

  4. Running for 1000 yards no longer means you are an elite running back. The passing game has become so dominant, that we think a back averaging 60 yards a game is spectacular. It’s not. We should save our reverence for backs who regularly average over 100 yards/game and 2000 yards/season before we start slobbering over them.

  5. Fournette was clutch for the Bucs. He played his best in big games. He has some wear and tear but probably has 2 or 3 solid seasons in him, particularly as a third down back. As a Buc fan I am sorry to see him go and wish him all the best.

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