ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Saturday afternoon that the Jacksonville Jaguars have had trade talks about running back Leonard Fournette. The team originally selected the LSU star with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft but appear to be ready to go in a different direction. The rumored trade has not taken place, but comedian Lil Duval is unhappy about the potential transaction.
Duval, whose real name is Roland Powell, reacted to the news on Twitter Saturday morning. He didn’t specifically name Fournette with his tweets but simply tweeted, “So the jaguars just gon giveaway our best player huh.” The fans immediately responded by saying that they would hate to see Fournette leave, but they wouldn’t be surprised. Although others did proclaim that the 25-year-old’s best days are already behind him.
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Duval was not done calling out the Jaguars, however. He also compared rooting for the Florida-based franchise to an abusive relationship. In this analogy, the fans were sticking with the abusive partner (the Jaguars) due to having “daddy issues.”
While Fournette struggled to remain healthy during his first two seasons in the NFL, he appeared in 15 games in 2019. He missed week 17 due to an illness. This season was also his best considering that he ran for a career-high 1,152 yards and caught a team-high 76 passes last season. Although Fournette only scored three touchdowns.
The team will have to make a decision about Fournette in the coming weeks even if they do not trade him. His fifth-year option must be exercised or declined by May 4. This would keep him on the roster through the 2021 season while providing a one-year pay raise. Fournette is scheduled to make $4.16 million in base salary in 2020 but the fifth-year option would raise his 2021 salary to an estimated $10.189 million.
Fournette’s future with the team is uncertain, but that has not prevented him from trying to secure another star for the roster. He openly campaigned for the Jaguars to sign free-agent quarterback Cam Newton. He appeared on ESPN’s First Take and clarified that he isn’t trying to disrespect the current starter, Gardner Minshew. He just believes that Newton’s abilities and experience would benefit the team.
“Cam went to the Super Bowl,” Fournette said. “He’s a great guy. I’ve been knowing Cam for a minute now. And like I told some people that talked to me, it’s no disrespect to [Gardner Minshew]. I’m just trying to get in the best position as a team as we can [to] win. That’s all that was about. Just friendly competition ’cause that brings out the best in people.”
