The Buffalo Bills have made a significant addition to their running back lineup ahead of their highly-anticipated clash with the in-form Cincinnati Bengals.
According to the NFL’s official Twitter page, the Bills have signed Super Bowl champion running back Leonard Fournette to their practice squad.
Leonard Fournette, often referred to as “Playoff Lenny,” was the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft. He began his NFL career with the Jacksonville Jaguars and, during his three-year tenure, amassed 3,640 scrimmage yards and scored a total of 19 touchdowns. After his time with the Jaguars, Fournette joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he rushed for 367 yards and scored six touchdowns in his first season with the team. In the subsequent two seasons, he exceeded 1,190 rushing yards, but his yards per attempt dropped to 3.5 last year.
Fournette is renowned for his outstanding playoff performances. In nine postseason games, he has rushed for 604 yards and scored nine touchdowns, in addition to catching 35 passes for 254 yards and one touchdown. His pivotal role in the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl victory in 2020 included rushing 64 times for 300 yards and three touchdowns in four games, including a strong performance in their 31-9 Super Bowl win against the Kansas City Chiefs, where he carried the ball 16 times for 89 yards and a touchdown.
As for Fournette’s potential role in 2023 with the Bills, he will begin his tenure on the practice squad. The Bills currently have James Cook, a former second-round pick, Latavius Murray, and Ty Johnson as their active running backs. Unfortunately, offseason signing Damien Harris was placed on the injured reserve (IR) after suffering a concerning neck injury earlier this month.
Cook and Murray have been the primary running back options for head coach Sean McDermott. Cook has been averaging 4.8 yards per carry this season on 102 attempts, while Murray, although less efficient, has served as a change-of-pace back to Cook. Ty Johnson has yet to record a rushing attempt. Fournette may challenge Murray for the backup role if Murray continues to struggle in breaking out for significant gains.
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