Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette took to Twitter on Monday to fire back at some of his critics. But his honesty may come back to bite Tampa Bay.
In a since-deleted tweet, Fournette aired his frustrations with people calling him "out of shape" and revealed he's been dealing with a foot injury in recent games.
In a now-deleted tweet, #GoBucs Leonard Fournette explains why he has been struggling lately:
— Jesse Morse, MD (@DrJesseMorse) December 26, 2022
He’s playing with a midfoot/Lisfranc sprain. These are painful & cause players to lack explosiveness.
He’s likely wearing a carbon fiber insert in his shoe.
BUT 162 yards in W16!!! pic.twitter.com/aQAn6U92XF
"Do y'all understand I'm playing with a lisfranc in my foot every week [?]" Fournette wrote. "Can barley [sic] push off my foot but through the Grace of God I'm going to keep proving y'all wrong."
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The answer to his rhetorical question would have been a clear "no." The former LSU star was listed on the Week 14 injury report with a "lingering foot injury," but he ultimately suited up for the game. Since then, he hasn't missed any practices or received any kind of injury designation.
It's possible Fournette deleted the tweet because the Buccaneers haven't been disclosing the injury. Teams often try to keep injuries under wraps as much as possible to give opponents less information to devise their gameplan. However, if the Bucs' medical staff knew about the injury but failed to disclose it, it could result in a fine by the league. As of Tuesday morning, the NFL has yet to issue any disciplinary action.
According to orthopedic surgeon Dane Wukich, M.D., lisfranc injuries are usually caused by "severe twisting of the foot that creates a fracture, dislocation, or ligament strain/tear in the midfoot." They can be fairly serious, and several athletes have been sidelined long term by the issue. Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis was ruled out for the season after suffering a lisfranc injury that required surgery in October, while Chet Holmgren — the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft — was forced to miss his entire rookie season due to a similar injury.
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If Fournette has indeed been playing through injury, he's still been putting up some impressive numbers. Last time out, he racked up 162 total yards in a narrow 19-16 overtime win against the Cardinals. He's averaging more than 80 total yards per game this season — his third with the Buccaneers. He has missed just one game in 2022, in Week 12 against the Browns. However, his absence that week was blamed on a hip issue.
With their win on Monday, the Bucs (7-8) still find themselves in the driver's seat in the NFC South. A win against the Panthers this week would clinch a third-straight division title.
