TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS- LEONARD FOURNETTE LEAK TERSE MESSAGE FROM TOM BRADY AHEAD OF OFFSEASON VISIT WITH PATROITS.

Leonard Fournette re-signed with the Buccaneers after testing the free-agent waters.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette said Tuesday he received a call from Tom Brady ahead of his visit with the New England Patriots while he was a free agent in the offseason.

Fournette said he got a call from Brady in March, right around the time the seven-time Super Bowl champion decided to play the 2022 season and not retire after all.

“Man, what your a– doing up there?” Fournette said Brady told him.

It appeared to be enough for Fournette to come back to the Buccaneers. He signed a three-year deal with Tampa Bay in the offseason and will be back with Brady again.

Fournette said he sort of knew Brady wasn’t going to stay away from the NFL for too long.

“I kind of knew. I told him probably two days after the game – I’m like, ‘[Tom], we can’t go out like that.’ He agreed with me. We left too many mistakes on the field that kind of messed us up. We were playing catch-up the whole game. I think as a champion, I knew he wouldn’t want to go out like that for his legacy,” he said.

Fournette added he still sees the passion on the field from Brady, who is set to turn 45 before the 2022 season officially kicks off.

“He hasn’t lost a step. He is who he is. I’ll go somewhere on a plane traveling and somebody will say something like, ‘I don’t like that guy, Tom Brady.’ I’m like, ‘You don’t know him. You don’t like him because he is a winner? Personally, you don’t know him,’” Fournette said. “Me being alongside him these three years – I wouldn’t want any other guy back there with us. He deserves everything he’s got that’s coming to him. I’m just proud of him.”

In 14 games last season, Fournette had 812 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.