Leonard Fournette Re-signs with Tampa Bay for 3-year $21 Million Deal

Running back Leonard Fournette has resigned with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following a visit with the New England Patriots on Monday. The deal is reported to be in the range of $21 million over 3 years.

While the resigning of Fournette does stabilize a relatively shaky set of running backs in Tampa Bay, many assumed the Buccaneers would pursue a rookie or a back that could be a leading option since Fournette became a free agent. The Fournette resigning means to me that they are still going to go for a shared carry running back committee once again this season with Tom Brady returning under center. I’m not saying that Fournette is a bad running back by any means but, Fournette hasn’t rushed for a thousand yards since 2019 with the Jaguars in Jacksonville.

Why this may be an issue

Although Tom Brady did have a great season last year it is undeniable that he is not the same game breaker he was even two years ago. His decline hasn’t been as fast as Ben Roethlisberger or Peyton Manning but it is clear, to me at least, that Tom Brady is on the decline. Whether Tom Brady can continue to be “the guy” this year will be a question asked by many lovers and haters of the quarterback, and we won’t know the answer until half-way through next season.

If I were in the conversation room of the Buccaneers I might have pursued someone who could be a go-to option to take a lot of pressure off of Brady this year. As good as Brady is, you don’t want your team’s hopes and dreams on the back of an aging quarterback.