Buccaneers Designate Three To Return From IR Including Leonard Fournette & Lavonte David

The Buccaneers announced Wednesday they have designated three players to return from injured reserve, including RB Leonard Fournette, LB Lavonte David and RB Giovani Bernard. 

Giovani Bernard, Lavonte David and Leonard Fournette Return to Practice

Release: https://t.co/0Urq8oVw6A

— Buccaneers Communications (@BuccaneersComms) January 12, 2022

This opens up a 21-day window for them to practice with the team before they have to be added to the active roster. 

Tampa Bay was hopeful of getting all three back to contribute during the playoffs. Fournette has a hamstring injury, Bernard has knee and hip injuries and David has a foot sprain. 

David, 31, is a former second-round pick of the Buccaneers back in 2012. He played out the final year of his six-year, $51.11 million contract that included $25.56 million guaranteed and made a base salary of $10.75 million for the 2020 season. 

David was in line to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason when he re-signed with the Buccaneers on a two-year, $25 million deal. 

In 2021, David appeared in 12 games and recorded 97 total tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and three pass defenses.

Fournette, 26, is a former first-round pick of the Jaguars back in 2017. The Jaguars declined Fournette’s fifth-year option and later waived him at the start of the 2020 season.

Fournette was entering the final year of his four-year, $27.15 million contract and set to make a base salary of $4.16 million for the 2020 season at the time of his release. The Buccaneers signed him to a one-year contract worth up to $3.5 million soon after and brought him back on another one-year deal worth up to $4 million this past March. 

In 2021, Fournette appeared in 14 games for the Buccaneers and rushed for 812 yards on 180 carries (4.5 YPC) to go along with 69 receptions for 454 yards receiving and 10 total touchdowns.