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With the whole world focused on the many headlines about quarterbacks happening around the NFL in early 2022 with free agents, the dominoes are now starting to fall on the running back positions as well. It began with James Conner re-signing to a three-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals and was pushed forward on Saturday, two days before Matt Ryan was traded to the Indianapolis Colts for the Atlanta Falcons, when the latter agreed to terms with Cordarrell Patterson. under a two year contract. And so, with a good understanding of the market, Leonard Furnett made his decision.
The former fourth player overall has agreed to re-sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to CBS Sports NFL insider Jason La Canfora, for a three-year deal worth up to $21 million. The decision will reunite him with seven-time Super Bowl winner quarterback Tom Brady, who undoubtedly helped Furnett’s hiring process after making a dramatic facelift to announce his return to football after a very brief off-season retirement.
With the signing of three-year-old Pro Bowl wide receiver Chris Godwin for $60 million, that effectively keeps the offensive lineup in Tampa – depending on the final decision of future Hall of Famer tight end Rob Gronkowski. After signing a one-year contract with the Buccaneers in 2020 and then another in 2021, his new contract rewards him for taking Ariane’s tough love and using it to get back into top form and keeps him safe for the 2024 season. of the year.
Lenny’s playoffs were in full swing during the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl in the 2020 season, and his 812 yards and eight rushing touchdowns really refinished his brand in the regular season. After nearly saving the day in this year’s playoffs with a loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams, Furnett has shown he still has RB1 ability in spades. The veteran running back has spent the last few weeks weighing his options, which likely included waiting to see if Brady is serious about resigning, and that included a visit to Brady’s former team, the New England Patriots, reportedly.
In the end, however, he decided to stay put and work on helping Brady and head coach Bruce Arians try to wash away the bitter taste of last season’s playoff exit. This is all a far cry from the days he fought the Jacksonville Jaguars, and now the Buccaneers have another chance to lift the Lombardi Trophy, assuming they can pick up where they left off in 2021 (this time with a healthy Godwin, to download).