Leonard Fournette has reportedly lost out on his contract guarantees. Sources close to the team say that the Jacksonville Jaguars have voided the guarantees on the former number four overall draft pick’s rookie contract. While it may seem surprising to many around the league, it’s understandable. Regardless of Fournette’s injuries, he was suspended for fighting earlier in the season. There were also reports that he missed treatments for his hamstring injury.
Leonard Fournette Has Contract Guarantees Voided
AP source: Jaguars void Leonard Fournette's contract guarantees @APMarkLong https://t.co/yGKSC47Drm
— AP NFL (@AP_NFL) December 31, 2018
Fournette has had a rough season. He only played a full six games this year. That is mainly due to a nagging hamstring injury. But he was also suspended for one game by the league for throwing punches at a Buffalo Bills player. In the games he has played, Fournette hasn’t been himself. The back has averaged a paltry 3.3 yards per carry this season. He only has 439 yards on 133 attempts and five touchdowns. This news adds to growing suspicions that the young player could be on his way out of Jacksonville.
Tom Coughlin put out a statement following the Jaguars game on Sunday expressing his disappointment with both Fournette and T.J. Yeldon. Though Fournette was inactive, he and Yeldon sat on the bench together and both players sat with arms crossed. For one of the captains of the team, he doesn’t lead by example. The young back shows immaturity, a lack of self-motivation, and doesn’t appear to be a team player.
Without the acting up the Jags still have to be concerned with Fournette. The former fourth overall pick’s career average is 3.7 yards per carry. Interestingly, rookie Saquon Barkley has more yards from scrimmage (2,028 yards) in one season than Fournette has in his first two (1966 yards). If anything, this situation should serve as a wake-up call to Fournette. If he’s going to be with the Jaguars much longer, he’s going to need to show improvement on and off the field.
