Leonard Fournette discloses how multiple teams reached out to him before he eventually chose to go with Bills

Bills general manager Brandon Beane met Fournette during his pre-draft process when the Panthers were interested in him, back in 2017.

Leonard Fournette discloses how multiple teams reached out to him before he eventually chose to go with Bills

Buffalo Bills' Leonard Fournette (Via ClutchPoints)

As the NFL trade deadline closed by the end of October, many teams running the playoffs race landed their desired players to lead the latter half of this season. Among those, the Buffalo Bills made a fine deal signing running back Leonard Fournette as a substantial addition to their offense moving forward in the league.

The 28-year-old running back decided to go as a free agent this season, as he was looking for the right opportunity, not due to lack of interest. The most interesting part is that Fournette had quite a handful of offers during the trade rounds, but when the Bills, standing at 5-3, offered, it seemed like the right choice to go with.

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While talking about the matter, Fournette recently revealed:

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I had a couple teams reach out to me. But I really wanted to do what's best for me, a fresh start out here in Buffalo.

He continued: 

I have a lot left in the tank to play, it was all about the right opportunity.

Fournette signing with the Bills seems inevitable, as a month ago in October, the running back had a workout scheduled with them when he was still a free agent. Afterwards, he ought to sign with the Bills, but unfortunately, it didn’t happen. The Bills likely kept him in touch, as they finally locked him in.

During a video conference, Bills general manager Brandon Beane acknowledged being in touch with Fournette and discussing his contract. He said: 

We’ve been talking to Leonard (for) a little bit. At this point, he was ready to join a team, so I’m excited to get him here.

Beane met Fournette during his pre-draft process when the Panthers were showing interest in drafting him, in 2017 but landed with Christian McCaffrey, since Fournette was overall drafted fourth.

How Leonard Fournette’s arrival could impact the Bills’ offense?

After playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2020 to 2022, Fournette became a free agent this season. During his time there, he recorded a total of 466 attempts for 1,847 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns. He had 178 catches for 1,210 receiving yards, along with five receiving touchdowns. Now as he is with the Bills, there still remains to see how much contribution he makes for the remaining games this season.

Leonard Fournette
Leonard Fournette (Via WHAM)

It would take him a few weeks, first to settle in and get a hold on the playbook, as believed by the big-bodied rusher. It still remains unsure whether Fournette will play in the Bills’ coming game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

As the Bills signed the running back with the practice squad, and not with the active roster. This means if he ought to play this Sunday, he would need to be called up for the game, a day before.

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