Buccaneers sign RB Le'Veon Bell; Leonard Fournette may miss games

Dec. 22 (UPI) -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed free agent running back Le'Veon Bell, the team announced Wednesday.

The move added depth to the team's roster after starting running back Leonard Fournette sustained a hamstring injury in Week 15.

Sources told NFL Network and ESPN on Tuesday that Fournette is expected to miss at least two games due to his injury.

Bell, 29, spent five games with the Baltimore Ravens earlier this season, but was released in November. He totaled 82 yards from scrimmage and two scores on 32 touches.

The three-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time All-Pro spent the 2020 season with the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets. Bell spent his first five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he was teammates with current Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown.

Fournette injured his hamstring in the third quarter of the Buccaneers' Week 15 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday in Tampa, Fla. He totaled just 34 yards on nine carries in the shutout loss.

Fournette totaled 1,266 yards from scrimmage and 10 scores in 14 games this season.

Ronald Jones is expected to be the Buccaneers' starting running back amid Fournette's hiatus. Jones totaled 337 yards and three scores on 71 carries through the Buccaneers' first 14 games this season. He ran for 63 yards on eight carries in Week 15.

Second-year running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn is the only other healthy running back on the Buccaneers' depth chart.

The Buccaneers (10-4) battle the Carolina Panthers (5-9) at 1 p.m. EST Sunday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.