Leonard Fournette went from a power back to a fat back in the matter of five months.
The former fourth overall pick rushed for 812 yards and 8 touchdowns in 14 games last season for the Buccaneers. During that time, Fournette weighed in at 228 pounds. Now, it’s being reported that Fournette came into Bucs mini camp weighing 260 pounds. That is a 30 pound jump from where he was at last season.
It has become very common for professional sports teams to put a weight limit on players where if they don’t stay under a certain weight, then they’ll receive a fine. Some players even get bonuses for staying under a certain weight.
Patriots offensive tackle Trent Brown will earn $25,000 every week that he stays under 365 pounds during the 2022-2023 season. Don’t be shocked if Fournette is put on some sort of incentive based weight program for the upcoming season.
There is no way that Fournette could be an efficient back at his current weight. He’d be less agile, lose quickness, and would be less of a threat in the pass game. While it may help him as a power back being a bit bigger, being 260 pounds makes him one-dimensional. If he isn’t able to shed some weight by training camp, the Bucs may even opt to cut him. They have two other solid backs behind Fournette in Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Giovanni Benard that could spilt the work load.
Twitter Had A Field Day
This is why I love social media. When this broke, NFL fans and Buccaneer haters took to Twitter in order to troll the LSU alum. It was some of the best trolling I’d seen in months when it came to an NFL story. Many Twitter users drew comparison to former Packers running back Eddie Lacy, and even Zion Williamson. It was pure hilarity.
Just getting put in an absolute body bag. Oh my lord. Shield your eyes and turn your phone off Buccaneers fans.
Is Fat Shaming Athletes Okay?
Look, in general I am against fat shaming. I’ve struggled with my weight over the years, but I have no issue fat shaming athletes. Their job is to be in peak physical condition to play a sport for four to six months a year. If an accountant doesn’t fill out a spreadsheet the right way or a chef cooks your steak wrong, they’ll get criticized. It’s no different when it comes to an athlete. I mean we’ve seen it happen a multitude of times over the years with players like Eddie Lacy, and Pablo Sandoval. Now it’s Leonard Fournette’s turn.
