RONALD JONES NEWS

Works as clear backup in win Jones rushed five times for 21 yards and brought in his only target for 15 yards in the Buccaneers' 45-17 win over the Dolphins on Sunday.

Impact Jones' backfield mate Leonard Fournette once again operated as the clear lead back with a team-high 12 carries, and Jones even saw just one more rush attempt than change-of-pace option Giovani Bernard. The consistently reduced role seems to be one that will stick to Jones as long as Fournette remains healthy, leaving Jones' fantasy value depressed going into the Week 6 Thursday night battle against the Eagles.

OCTOBER 11, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Finds end zone in win Jones rushed six times for 25 yards and a touchdown and wasn't targeted in the passing game during the Buccaneers' 19-17 win over the Patriots on Sunday night.

Impact The fourth-year back's role as just a complementary option to Leonard Fournette was never clearer than against the Patriots, when the latter outpaced Jones by 14 carries and five targets. However, Jones was the one who was able to cash in with a touchdown, notching an eight-yard score in which he was able to get just inside the right pylon late in the third quarter. Jones' unquestionably diminished role is a concern, however, as the six carries he logged Sunday equaled a season high. The 24-year-old will hope for more opportunity in a Week 5 home tilt against the highly porous Dolphins run defense, a game that may offer the right script for a heavy dose of the ground attack in the second half.

OCTOBER 4, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Minimal production in Week 3 loss Jones rushed five times for 11 yards and did not draw a target in the Buccaneers' 34-24 loss to the Rams on Sunday.

Impact The lack of production wasn't a byproduct of Leonard Fournette significantly outpacing the fourth-year back in actual touches. Instead, game script forced the Buccaneers to turn toward the pass relatively early in the second half, and Jones actually drew one more carry than his teammate. However, Fournette saw three targets to Jones' none, and he also logged 26 snaps compared to Jones' 12. Fournette's role in the passing game has a lot to do with the ongoing disparity between the backs, but a Week 4 battle against the Patriots should at least provide more balance in the offense.

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Tom Brady on record pace in Tampa Bay Bucs' high-flying offense

With Tom Brady steering a high-flying offense, the Bucs are off to a record start. Bucky Brooks tracks their flight plan.

SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

Still clearly behind Fournette Jones rushed six times for 27 yards and secured one of three targets for nine yards in the Buccaneers' 48-25 win over the Falcons on Sunday.

Impact Jones did in fact start the game and took the first carry for the Buccaneers for an eight-yard gain, but Leonard Fournette ultimately outpaced Jones by five rush attempts and three catches, albeit on just one additional target. Jones did average a healthy 4.5 yards per carry overall, and despite his underwhelming usage over the first pair of contests, head coach Bruce Arians is certainly capable of switching gears with his backs in any given game depending on who has the hot hand. Therefore, Jones and his fantasy managers can still hold out hope for a bump in workload in a Week 3 road matchup versus the Rams.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Ronald Jones II is still the Bucs' starting RB After a rough performance in Week 1, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren’t giving up on Ronald Jones II as their starting running back

SEPTEMBER 14, 2021 • USATODAY.COM

Named starter heading into Week 2 Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians said that Jones will serve as the team's starting running back in Sunday's game against the Falcons, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

Impact Though he entered Week 1 atop the depth chart, Jones didn't actually start in the Bucs' season-opening win over the Cowboys, as he wasn't on the field for the team's first snap. He didn't end up working as a de facto starter, either, as he played just nine percent of the team's offensive snaps, trailing fellow running backs Leonard Fournette (64 percent) and Gio Bernard (27 percent). Jones' limited use was largely the byproduct of a fumble early in the contest, but Arians said he believes the 24-year-old will bounce back fine in Week 2. Despite Arians labeling him as the starter, Jones can't be trusted to see the bulk of the backfield work Week 2, particularly if he struggles to get going on the ground early and/or if the Buccaneers are forced into a more pass-happy game script.

SEPTEMBER 14, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Early fumble leads to benching Jones carried four times for 14 yards and lost a fumble in the Buccaneers' 31-29 win over the Cowboys on Thursday night.

Impact Jones lost the handle on a run off right tackle midway through the second quarter on a hit from the Cowboys' DeMarcus Lawrence, a turnover that ended up leading to a touchdown for Dallas five plays later. Greg Auman of The Athletic relays that head coach Bruce Arians confirmed Jones "struggled mentally to get over [the turnover]," which led to Leonard Fournette handling the rushing workload the remainder of the night for Tampa Bay. Despite the season-opening setback, Jones remains a key component of the Buccaneers' ground attack and will look to get back on track in Week 2 against the Falcons.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

NFL preseason: Top moments from Saturday's games

Tom Brady and Josh Allen were both marvelous to finish out the preseason. Here are the top moments from Saturday's action!

AUGUST 29, 2021

Early down timeshare on tap Jones is still slated to share primary ball carrier duties with Leonard Fournette to open the season and is likely to yield most third downs to offseason acquisition Giovani Bernar...

Impact If a true timeshare arrangement consistently holds true in the Buccaneers backfield, the fantasy value of both Fournette and Jones naturally will be capped to an extent. However, head coach Bruce Arians previously has touted both and carried out a hot-hand approach to the ground attack, so it isn't out of the realm of possibility that each player will have his share of 15-to-25 carry days this coming season, for example. What does seem like more of a certainty for Jones is the likelihood he's often off the field on third-down passing scenarios, considering his blocking has never been a strong suit and Bernard is a more accomplished receiver out of the backfield.

AUGUST 24, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Ranking the biggest concerns for each NFC South team in 2021

From QB issues to what might stop the GOAT from getting another ring, former NFL GM Randy Mueller breaks down the NFC South.

AUGUST 16, 2021

Viewed as co-starter ahead of camp Coach Bruce Arians remarked that he viewed both Jones and backfield mate Leonard Fournette as No. 1 backs during mandatory minicamp, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site re...

Impact Jones opened the 2020 season as the clear-cut top back with Fournette having just joined the team prior to Week 1, and he earned the right to hold onto that designation for most of the 14 regular-season games for which he was healthy. Jones compiled 978 rushing yards and seven touchdowns (5.1 YPC) while adding a 28-165-1 line through the air. However, an ill-timed quad contusion sustained in pregame warmups before a wild-card game against Washington altered the postseason fortunes of both Jones and Fournette, as the latter thrived with the lead-back job in that game and held it throughout the Super Bowl. Nevertheless, Jones' body of work over the last two campaigns following an abysmal rookie season certainly hasn't been forgotten, and it therefore appears both players could be headed for a dreaded timeshare scenario in 2021 as long they're healthy and replicating last year's production.

JUNE 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Joined by Fournette again in '21 Jones will share backfield duties again with Leonard Fournette in 2021 after the latter re-signed with the Buccaneers on a one-year deal on March 26, Greg Auman of The Athletic rep...

Impact Jones logged a team-high 192 carries in 2020, with Fournette a distant second with 97 attempts while appearing in just one fewer game. However, the latter took off in the postseason, beginning with a wild-card win over Washington that Jones missed after suffering a quadriceps pull in pregame warmups. Given Fournette's productivity at the most critical time of year and his superior pass-catching skills, Jones could find himself in a much closer timeshare arrangement in the coming campaign.

APRIL 27, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Ronald Jones on the truth behind the Tampa Bay time share, staying in after a fumble and In-n-Out vs. Whataburger Ronald Jones says we weren't the only ones wondering about his workload, if he likes fantasy football and In-n-Out vs Whataburger

MARCH 26, 2021 • THEATHLETIC.COM

Bound for minor surgery Jones will undergo surgery to have a pin removed from his left pinky finger Tuesday, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Impact Jones had surgery to address a broken finger back in mid-December, and he'll now undergo another procedure to fully address the issue. After returning from his initial surgery, he was able to play through his finger injury, though he did subsequently miss time due to COVID-19 protocols and a quad contusion, ultimately playing second fiddle to Leonard Fournette during Tampa Bay's playoff run. Jones should remain on track for the tentative start of offseason workouts, and with Fournette on track to become an unrestricted free agent in March, Ke'Shawn Vaughn could end up being his primary competition for the No. 1 backfield spot.

FEBRUARY 15, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Ronald Jones II tells us why Tom Brady isn’t perfect We have finally found one thing that Tom Brady does not do well courtesy of this teammate Ronald Jones II. Tom Brady somehow keeps raising t...

FEBRUARY 10, 2021 • FANSIDED.COM

Ronald Jones: Brady brought a 'winning mindset and championship spirit' to the locker room Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Ronald Jones joins

FEBRUARY 9, 2021 • SPORTINGNEWS.COM

Plays complementary role in SB win Jones rushed 12 times for 61 yards and failed to bring in his only target during the Buccaneers' 31-9 win over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV on Sunday.

Impact As was the case through the Buccaneers' divisional-round and conference-championship wins, Jones played a complementary role to Leonard Fournette, although he did trail his teammate in carries by only four. The third-year back may have never ceded the lead-back role to Fournette had he not been felled by a quadriceps contusion during warmups before a wild-card game against Washington, but Jones still averaged 4.0 yards per carry over the three postseason games he played in. Moreover, Jones just narrowly missed his first 1,000-yard season by 22 yards despite missing two games, and he also set a new career high with seven rushing touchdowns. With Fournette set for unrestricted free agency in March, Jones may find himself battling Ke'Shawn Vaughn for the starting running back job next season.

FEBRUARY 8, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Super Bowl prop bets: Bank on these Ronald Jones II prop predictions Looking at Super Bowl prop bets centered around Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Ronald Jones II, with odds, picks and predictions.

FEBRUARY 3, 2021 • USATODAY.COM

Ronald Jones reveals music artists that inspired his social-justice activism Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Ronald Jones II addresses the media ahead of Super Bowl LV.

FEBRUARY 2, 2021 • NFL.COM

Stymied in conference title game Jones rushed 10 times for 16 yards and did not receive a target during the Buccaneers' 31-26 win over the Packers in Sunday's NFC Championship Game.

Impact Jones once again played second fiddle to Leonard Fournette, who logged a total of 17 touches. He also averaged three yards less per carry than Fournette's 4.6, and Jones' complete lack of a role in the passing game seems to further cement the fact the two backs have swapped places on the depth chart ahead of a Super Bowl LV matchup versus either the Bills or Chiefs on Sunday, Feb. 7.

JANUARY 25, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

All set for Sunday Jones (quad/finger) was a full practice participant Friday and doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against Green Bay, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

Impact After a setback with his quad injury kept him on the sideline for the wild-card round, Jones reentered the mix for last week's 30-20 win over New Orleans, taking 13 carries for 62 yards on 29 percent snap share. Leonard Fournette had 17 carries and five catches on 68 percent of snaps, but he mostly worked behind Jones when both were healthy during the regular season.

JANUARY 22, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Logs limited practice Thursday Jones (quad/finger) was limited at practice Thursday, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.

Impact Jones picked up a few bumps and bruises near the end of the regular season and prior to Tampa Bay's playoff opener at Washington. While he only played 29 percent of the offensive snaps during the divisional-round win in New Orleans, he churned out a healthy 62 yards on 13 rushes (4.8 YPC). In the same game, Leonard Fournette led the Bucs backfield, turning 22 touches into 107 yards from scrimmage and one TD. Assuming Jones is able to suit up again Sunday at Green Bay, he seems poised to play second fiddle to Fournette yet again.

JANUARY 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Limited on practice report The Buccaneers listed Jones as a limited participant on Wednesday's estimated practice report with finger and calf injuries.

Impact Jones was nursing a quadriceps injury heading into last weekend's divisional-round game in New Orleans, but he ultimately suited up and rushed 13 times for 62 yards in the Buccaneers' win. Though he's now contending with new injuries coming out of that contest, the running back may just have been limited in practice for maintenance purposes ahead of Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Packers.

JANUARY 20, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Solid in return to action Jones (quadriceps) rushed 13 times for 62 yards and failed to bring in his only target during the Buccaneers' 30-20 divisional-round win over the Saints on Sunday.

Impact Eight days after having to sit out the wild-card win against Washington due to a quadriceps contusion suffered in pregame warmups, Jones was back on the field and filling a robust role in the ground attack. However, he worked in tandem with Leonard Fournette, who served as the true lead back with 17 carries and another five touches in the passing game. Nevertheless, Jones was actually the more efficient of the two with 4.8 yards per rush, and given the extreme cold expected at Lambeau Field for next Sunday's NFC Championship Game, the duo could be quite busy once again versus a Packers defense that's been vulnerable to the run.

JANUARY 18, 2021 • ROTOWIRE