Former Jaguars RB Leonard Fournette Goes Unclaimed on Waivers
Former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette is still looking for a new landing spot after he passed through the waiver wire unclaimed on Tuesday.
Jacksonville announced Monday they would be making the surprising move of releasing Fournette, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. The other 31 teams had until 4 p.m. today to claim Fournette, but each of them passed, likely due to his rookie contract still being worth over $4 million.
Fournette had spent the bulk of Jacksonville's training camp as their No. 1 running back, but head coach Doug Marrone said the team made the move to release him based off of what they have seen out of the rest of their running backs "(Ryquell Armstead, Devine Ozigbo, Chris Thompson, James Robinson).
“I just feel like [with] the skill set of the guys that we have being used the right way, [they] will be able to give us more production and give us a better opportunity to win games," Marrone said. "That’s exactly what I feel and exactly what I’ve seen on tape.”
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Fournette has filed a grievance against the Jaguars to reclaim the $4.167 million the team voided when they voided his guaranteed money in 2018.
In three seasons, Fournette played in 36 regular season games and rushed 666 times for 2,631 yards (4.0 yards per carry) and 17 touchdowns, along with 134 receptions for 1,009 yards and two receiving touchdowns. He also played in three postseason games, rushing 70 times for 242 yards (3.46 average) and four touchdowns, with three of those touchdowns coming against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoff's Divisional Round.
"I would like to thank the Jaguars organization for giving me the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream of playing in the NFL," Fournette said in a statement on Monday.
"To all of my brothers in the locker room from 2017 until today, y'all are family for life. I wish each of you the absolute best in your careers. I am excited about what will come next for myself. Wherever that may be, know that you will get a player who is focused, motivated, and ready to get to work. God is great."
