The Indianapolis Colts are just several days away from opening their 2024 NFL season, but they appear to still be looking for options to add depth to their backfield. On Monday morning, it was reported that former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette was visiting with the AFC South division team, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Fournette last saw action in the NFL as a member of the Buffalo Bills in the 2023 season. The former LSU Tigers star running back appeared in just two games with the Bills, rushing for just 40 yards and a couple of first downs on 12 carries. Before joining the Bills, Fournette spent three seasons with the Buccaneers. He was part of the Bucs' Super Bowl-winning squad that defeated the Kansas City Chiefs on football's grandest stage in 2021.
Leonard Fournette to the Colts?
The Colts, who will open their 2024 schedule on Sunday against the Houston Texans at home, have a clear-cut top option for their ground attack in Jonathan Taylor, but Indianapolis could still want more security behind him. At the moment, the Colts have Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson behind Taylor on the team's running back pecking order. For what it's worth, Sermon missed some practice time last August due to a hamstring issue he sustained in a preseason game. That lower-body injury doesn't seem to be serious, however, as he was able to make it back to practice.
Fournette's best days in the NFL are likely behind him now, as he will be turning 30 years old in January. But he could provide experience and potential meaningful contribution in a limited role for a Colts squad that has seen Taylor play in only 21 games over the last couple of seasons.
Fournette's most productive year on the ground in the NFL to date came in the 2019 season when he was still with the Jacksonville Jaguars. That season, he racked up 1,152 rushing yards, three touchdowns and 55 first downs on 265 carries for an average of 4.3 yards per attempt. His only other 1,000-yard season thus far came in 2017 when he amassed 1,040 rushing yards and a career-high nine touchdowns on 268 carries. Fournette was taken in the first round (fourth overall) of the 20217 NFL draft by the Jaguars.
The Colts could see further improvement on their rushing attack, with Taylor still their RB1 and dual-threat quarterback Anthony Richardson healthy again. In 2023, the Colts were a top-10 team in terms of rushing yards per game (121.1) and also ranked seventh overall with 1.1 rushing touchdowns per contest.
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