The Cincinnati Bengals have no margin for error to make the 2025 NFL playoffs, but the front office knows both head coach Zac Taylor and quarterback Joe Burrow could use some help. And that help could come in the form of a Super Bowl champion with Tom Brady.
According to NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, the Bengals are working out veteran running back Leonard Fournette on Monday. The 29-year-old, who won Super Bowl LV with Brady on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is reportedly seen as a potential practice squad addition in Cincinnati.
Fournette has been a free agent for a while now, having been released by the Buffalo Bills in January ahead of the 2024 AFC Divisional round matchup against Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs.
A first-round pick out of LSU in 2017, Fournette shone for three years on the Jacksonville Jaguars before landing in Tampa Bay. His three seasons with the Bucs included that Super Bowl win alongside Brady, before spending a short stint in Buffalo, where he made only two appearances on Josh Allen’s offense.
Tom Brady #12 off to Leonard Fournette #28 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium on February 07, 2021 in Tampa, Florida.
Fournette could bring depth for Burrow, Taylor’s Bengals
While Fournette’s career has gone downhill in recent years, his presence on the practice squad could be useful for a Bengals team that recently lost Zack Moss for an indefinite period.
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Cincinnati has already brought some necessary help for Burrow by getting Khalil Herbert before the 2024 NFL trade deadline, so Fournette would be just another alternative in case Taylor needs one.
Taylor, Bengals also looking to improve on defense
Apart from working out Fournette, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports that the Bengals are hosting cornerback Xavien Howard for a visit on Monday. The 31-year-old has also been on the open market since being released by the Miami Dolphins in March.
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Before that, Howard made the Pro Bowl on four occasions during his eight-year stint in South Florida. His experience could give the Bengals’ defense a boost after a rocky start to the 2024 NFL season.
At 4-6, Cincinnati is currently third in the AFC North with a defense that has allowed 262 points this year. The only team that has so far conceded more points in the conference are the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are bottom of the AFC South at 2-8.
