The Cincinnati Bengals are in the middle of a backfield makeover of sorts. The latest in this shakeup on the depth chat could be the addition of Leonard Fournette. The Bengals are hosting the veteran running back for a workout on Monday, according to NFL Media. The report notes that Fournette could join the Cincinnati practice squad.
This workout comes after the Bengals placed running back Zack Moss on injured reserve due to a neck injury that is likely to put him on the shelf for the rest of the season. Cincinnati did begin to address their need for help in the backfield at the trade deadline, dealing for former Bears running back Khalil Herbert, and now Fournette could soon be another option for the club behind starter Chase Brown.
Fournette, 29, hasn't seen much action in the NFL in recent years. The former No. 4 overall pick out of LSU signed on with the Buffalo Bills practice squad in late October of last season and made two appearances down the stretch, getting called up to the gameday roster in Week 16 and Week 18. In that time, Fournette rushed for 40 yards on 12 carries. With that in mind, Fournette should be looked at as a potential depth piece for Cincinnati rather than a back who is going to log serious snaps.
At his peak, Fournette was an extremely skilled back as both a pure runner and receiver out of the backfield. With the Jaguars to begin his career, He had two seasons of over 1,300 yards from scrimmage, including a 1,674 scrimmage yard season in 2019. After being waived in the summer of 2020, Fournette signed with the Buccaneers, where he'd prove to be a key cog in the franchise's playoff run to Super Bowl LV. Those heroics initially gave him the moniker of "Playoff Lenny," but evolved to "Lombardi Lenny" after the team's championship victory.
For his career, Fournette has totaled 4.518 yards rushing and 34 touchdowns on the ground in 81 regular season games. As a pass catcher, he added 312 catches for 2,219 yards and seven touchdowns.
