Leonard Fournette has been putting together a solid season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 14 games, the running back has 812 yards, eight rushing touchdowns, 454 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns. However, his regular season is over now that the Buccaneers have placed him on the Injured Reserve list.
The #Bucs have placed RB Leonard Fournette on Injured Reserve, knocking him out until the playoffs. At that point, he should be good to go.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 23, 2021
The issue is a hamstring injury that Fournette suffered in last weekend’s 9–0 loss to the New Orleans Saints. The 26-year-old left the game with nine carries for 34 yards, his fourth-lowest amount in a game this year.
The good news is that the personnel move doesn’t mean Fournette can’t return in the postseason. The Bucs are currently 10-4 and are in good position to make the playoffs. Ronald Jones will likely step up to fill in for Fournette in the interim. He garnered eight carries for 63 yards last week and has 337 yards and three touchdowns on the season so far.
Ronald Jones 🚀🚀🚀 https://t.co/Nd9IY19Rhv
— Jamey Eisenberg (@JameyEisenberg) December 23, 2021
The Consensus All-American at LSU spent his first three NFL seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars where he ran for 1,152 yards in 2019 before joining Tampa. While he didn’t put up huge numbers last season, he did have a strong performance in the playoffs and as part of Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
If the Bucs hope to repeat as champs, they’re going to want to hope Fournette is back on the roster once the playoffs get here.
