Running back Giovani Bernard officially announced his retirement from professional football on his personal Twitter account on Friday. Bernard was originally a second-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2013, and he went on to play eight seasons in Cincinnati before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the last two years. In his time with the Bengals, he had 921 carries for 3,697 yards (4.0 yards per carry) and 22 rushing touchdowns, adding 342 receptions for 2,867 yards and an additional 11 scores in 115 regular season games (30 starts). He had just 16 carries for 86 yards and caught 25 of 31 targets for 122 yards and three TDs in his two seasons with the Bucs. All in all, Bernard finishes his NFL career with 3,783 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground, adding 2,989 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns on 367 receptions.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Giovani Bernard (ankle) has been activated off the injured reserve on Saturday. This is good timing for the Bucs with Leonard Fournette (hip) being ruled out for the Week 12 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. It's nice to see Bernard back on the team since he has been sidelined most of the season. He's expected to be the primary backup to Rachaad White for Sunday's game. However, fantasy managers shouldn't expect Bernard to have much value during his first game back. White is the player to have in the Tampa Bay backfield right now.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers placed running back Giovani Bernard (ankle) and offensive tackle Josh Wells (calf) on Injured Reserve on Wednesday. In corresponding moves, the team signed wide receiver Cole Beasley and offensive tackle Justin Skule to their practice squad. Bernard and Wells will now have to miss at least the next four games. The 30-year-old running back didn't play a single offensive snap for the Bucs in the first two games while contributing sparingly on special teams. He can obviously be left to the waiver wire in all fantasy leagues for the time being. Ke'Shawn Vaughn is now the No. 3 RB on the depth chart behind Leonard Fournette and rookie Rachaad White.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Giovani Bernard suffered an ankle injury and has been ruled out for the remainder of Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints. The 30-year-old did not touch the football before exiting. His absence (and the healthy scratch of Ke'Shawn Vaughn) leaves the Buccaneers with two running backs for the remainder of Sunday's game: Leonard Fournette and Rachaad White.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Giovani Bernard (ankle) was a full participant in Friday's practice and has been cleared to play in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys. Bernard struggled with injuries last year while Leonard Fournette proved to be a capable pass-catcher out of the backfield, making his role in 2022 uncertain. The Bucs also drafted a talented receiving back in Rachaad White and still have Ke'Shawn Vaughn, so it's hard to project significant involvement for Bernard. He should be left on the waiver wire in redraft fantasy leagues.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Gage (leg) and running back Giovani Bernard (ankle) both took part in practice on Thursday. Gage missed the preseason finale in his last chance to get game repetitions with quarterback Tom Brady, and his fantasy stock has been falling ever since the team signed veteran Julio Jones. The 26-year-old initially suffered a left leg injury in a joint practice with the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 10, but he has time to get healthy before Week 1 of the regular season on Sept. 11 against the Dallas Cowboys. Even with Chris Godwin (knee) potentially missing Week 1, Gage's status as popular fantasy selection in his first year in Tampa pretty much went out the window when Jones was added. He's now more of a WR4/5 targets in deeper fantasy leagues.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers agreed to re-sign running back Giovani Bernard to an undisclosed one-year deal on Friday, according to a source. Bernard had multiple offers on the open market, but he chose to return to Tampa. In 12 games (no starts) in his first season in Tampa last year, Bernard had eight carries for 58 yards and added 23 catches for 123 yards and three touchdowns on 29 targets. Ronald Jones II is now with the Kansas City Chiefs, so Bernard should be the team's primary pass-catching back on third downs, and he is one of quarterback Tom Brady's favorite weapons. Even though the Bucs may not be passing as much in 2022 under new head coach Todd Bowles, Bernard should still be a pretty nice sleeper target in PPR formats now that he's back with the team.
Giovani Bernard Removed From Injury Report Vs. Rams
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Giovani Bernard (hip, knee) doesn't carry an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams. He was a full participant in Friday's practice and is all systems go for the NFC Divisional Round matchup versus Los Angeles. Teammates Ronald Jones II (ankle) has been ruled out, and Leonard Fournette(hamstring) remains on injured reserve but is expected to be activated ahead of Sunday's contest. Bernard could have an expanded role and split carries with Ke'Shawn Vaughn if Fournette remains sidelined. The 30-year-old rushed for 44 yards on 13 attempts and a touchdown while catching five passes for 39 yards in Wild Card Round win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Bernard is a solid value option at his $5,400 price tag on FanDuel for the main weekend slate.
Giovani Bernard Logs Theoretical Limited Practice Wednesday
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Giovani Bernard (hip, knee) would have been a limited practice participant Wednesday had the team gone through with an actual session. Bernard returned from injured reserve to log 13 carries for 47 yards and a touchdown during the team's Wild Card Round victory over Philadelphia last week. Bernard's performance was entirely surprising after he notched just eight carries across 12 regular-season outings. While Bernard is dealing with injuries in his own right, his DFS viability Sunday vs. the Rams is wholly dependent upon the statuses of Ronald Jones II (ankle) and Leonard Fournette (hamstring). Ke'Shawn Vaughn would figure to continue seeing the lion's share of carries if he and Bernard split duties again, but the 30-year-old's pass-catching skills would keep him in play as a GPP option, particularly on DraftKings.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Giovani Bernard (hip) has been activated from the injured reserve on Saturday. That means, the veteran running back will be available for Sunday's Wild Card game against the Philadelphia Eagles. As of right now, Bernard is expected to split up the carries with Ke'Shawn Vaughn and Le'Veon Bell. None of these options have much DFS appeal considering it'll be a committee approach. Leonard Fournette (hamstring) was not activated yet, but his status should be known shortly. He'd be the best fantasy option out of the bunch, assuming Fournette is cleared to play.
