"Lombardi Lenny Back!" - NFL fans react to Leonard Fournette reuniting with Tom Brady
Leonard Fournette has seen his NFL career resurrected since joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. The 27-year-old running back went from being a potential draft bust to being one of the NFL's best running backs.
Fournette made Buccaneers fans happy on Tuesday by re-signing on a three-year deal worth $24 million. One fan exclaimed their joy over "Lombardi Lenny" reuniting with the Bucs and Tom Brady.
Lombardi Lenny back !!! @_fournette
The fact that Leonard Fournette visited the New England Patriots on Monday was a fascinating turn of events. On Twitter, a disgruntled Patriots fan said they "don't need [him] anyways."
Leonard Fournette visited with the Patriots yesterday, only to re-sign with Tom Brady… we don’t need you anyways 🤷🏾♂️
Mike Anderson had a comedic tweet. He assumed that Leonard Fournette looked at pictures of Brady at the Patriots' headquarters and decided he'd choose familiarity over something new.
I'm assuming Leonard Fournette just stared at pictures of Tom Brady at Patriot Place yesterday after the visit and said eff this, I'm going back to the Bucs.
NFL reporter Dov Kleiman made an interesting observation regarding the specifics of Fournette's contract. He notes that it's the same deal that James Conner got. Conner had 18 touchdowns in a breakout season in 2021, so both players are deserving of that kind of money.
@RapSheet basically same contract as cardinals james conner who scored 18 tds last season.
Harrison Chase tweeted that the power of Brady's recruiting ability kicked in to bring Fournette back when he learned the running back was visiting his old stomping grounds.
@TomBrady heard about @_fournette working out for the @Patriots yesterday and said NOPE NOT HAPPENING so the @Buccaneers sign him to a 3 year, $21 million dollar deal.
Another Patriots fan didn't take kindly to Fournette teasing the Patriots only to return to Tampa Bay.
@oKlDDo Leonard Fournette, who met with the Patriots, is signed with the Buccs like bro????
Patriots insider Mike Reiss pointed out why Fournette likely didn't sign with the team. Bill Belichick has Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson, James White, and Branden Bolden on hand already. There just wasn't room for Fournette.
Leonard Fournette’s visit to New England felt like a luxury for a team that has a 1-2 punch of Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson. It also might have helped Fournette close the deal with the Buccaneers. twitter.com/adamschefter/s…
A Buccaneers fan welcomed Fournette back, calling him "Legend Lenny."
Welcome back Legend Lenny @_fournette twitter.com/rapsheet/statu…
Another Buccaneers fan shared the excitement of the former first-round pick returning to Tampa Bay.
@_fournette yessirr let’s run it back
Finally, Joey Wright tweeted that he's a fan of the Buccaneers' mentality of bringing back as much of their roster as possible.
Love the “get the band back together” mentality with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for 2022. Now Leonard Fournette is back on a three year deal!
Where do you see the Buccaneers finishing next season?
Leonard Fournette is Tom Brady's most versatile weapon
Fournette is one of Brady's best teammates offensively. More importantly, he's the most versatile in what he offers from an on-the-field perspective.
In addition to being an improved runner from his days with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Fournette has become a reliable option in the pass-catching game. Last season, he caught 69 catches for 454 yards.
Brady and the Bucs have brought the majority of their offense back. The likeliest next steps for the front office will be to re-sign Rob Gronkowski and see if retired left guard Ali Marpet changes his mind on his retirement stance.