TAMPA, Florida. – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will back down and Leonard Fournette, a New Orleans native, will start against the New Orleans Saints in Sunday’s NFC Division game, coach Bruce Arians said Friday.
Normal runner Ronald Jones, who suffered a quad injury and missed last week’s wildcard game against Washington, will be a “game decision,” Arians said.
“Ro, he has improved today, it will be a decision in playing time,” Arians said after Friday’s practice, which took place inside the turf. “But Leonard will start the game and we’ll see what Ro is like and his top speed, then he’ll get his normal reps.”
Even if Jones, who returned to practice on a limited Thursday, is able to play, Fournette, who ran 93 yards and attacked 39 yards receiving last week, will still open the game.
“He’s a great player and he played very, very well last week,” Arians said of Fournette, who didn’t know he would start last week until just before the game. “I trusted him all year.”
Fournette acknowledged the challenges of taking on a different role this season in Tampa Bay as a backup and described it as a “humiliating process,” though he said he “didn’t play as much as he used to.”
But he believes this step has helped lengthen his career. He feels cooler than ever in the past at the end of the season and feels less pressure when he’s surrounded by Tampa Bay guns, including those in his own meeting room.
“At first, I was looking at the bad guy because I couldn’t get the ball, but in the end it helps me with the longevity of the race,” said Fournette, who was personally recruited by Tom Brady when he left Jacksonville. Brady sent him a text message, telling him that the Ships could use his help.
“I thought that was the perfect decision for me,” said Fournette, who turned down another opportunity to go to a team where he would have been the center of the offense. “I love it here, to be honest. We have a brotherhood that’s going well right now. We work the queue every day to get better.”
Arians praised Fournette for taking a different kind of role and putting the team first.
“It’s been fantastic. As soon as he got here, we explained what the situation was like, ‘Your role can change with the drop of a hat,'” Arians said. “Like last week. And, ‘Be prepared.’ And he’s done it. He’s practiced a lot, he’s prepared and I can’t say enough about him: he’s a laughing player and he’s doing a good job.”