After the first day of the team's minicamp, Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette was all praises for his quarterback Tom Brady. "He hasn't lost a step. According to Pro Football Talk, he is who he is," Fournette said. "And me just being alongside him these three years, I wouldn't want any other guy back there with us," added Fournette, referring to Brady's decision to return from a 41-day retirement for his 23rd NFL season and his third with the Buccaneers. "He deserves everything he's got, and that's coming to him. And I'm just proud of him," added the running back.
In a separate report by The Athletic, Fournette said he wasn't surprised by Brady's decision to return to the Buccaneers, whose attempt to win back-to-back Super Bowl titles was stymied by their bitter 30-27 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
According to Fournette, he told Brady that they couldn't go out like that, and the veteran quarterback agreed. "As a champion, I knew he wouldn't want to go out like that for his legacy," added Fournette, who recently signed a 3-year deal worth $21 million with the Buccaneers after two years of strong showing with the squad. Fournette said it was an easy decision to return to the Buccaneers after Brady announced his comeback. "He signed back, and it was a no-brainer.
Why wouldn't I go back?" he stressed. As of now, Fournette has yet to reach his playing weight as he currently weighs 240 pounds, still far from his listed weight of 228 pounds. Fournette is known to be a bigger and sturdier running back, but he still has time to reach his ideal weight before the start of training camp.
Fournette is now top Bucs rusher
Fournette has emerged as the Buccaneers' No. 1 rusher since he joined the team two seasons ago. After the Jacksonville Jaguars cut him, Fournette joined the Buccaneers as a backup to Ronald Jones. But Fournette took Jones' starting spot after the latter suffered an injury and helped the Buccaneers win their first Super Bowl title since 2002 via a 31-9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Last season, he signed a one-year deal worth $3.25 million. He finished 812 rushing yards, another 454 receiving yards on 69 catches, and 10 total touchdowns despite suffering a hamstring injury late in the regular season.
Hicks is happy to play with Brady anew
Seven years after playing together with the Patriots, Akiem Hicks and Brady are now teammates anew after the defensive lineman signed a one-year deal with the Buccaneers. And Hicks couldn't be happier as he will have a chance to savor victories, unlike his stint with the Chicago Bears. Hicks said that he had Drew Brees and Brady as his quarterbacks in his first few years in the league, per Buccaneers.com. "I feel spoiled to have somebody on the other side of the ball that can deliver all the time, and he's proven it over the years," said Hicks, who could take over Ndamukong Suh's spot in the starting lineup.
