To continue our series on reviewing the off-season state of the Buccaneers’ roster, we’ll take a quick look at the running back situation next.
The Bucs low-key have some developments to monitor here, and it will be huge in determining how successful the running game adapts under new playcaller Zac Robinson.
Is Bucky Irving Healthy?
After starring in a stocked Buccaneers offense in 2024, and as a rookie no less, Bucky Irving’s star came crashing down to Earth for various reasons last year.
The state of the offensive line was
nothing less than a catastrophe last year, with several persisting injuries and lineup changes affecting the entire offense, especially the run game. Irving was hit behind the line of scrimmage at a near league-high rate, giving him little opportunity to create at the second level — which he swiftly proved to be one of the NFL’s best at.
And, of course, came serious injuries to his shoulder and knee that kept him out for 7 games, and even when he returned he was clearly still ailing. He underwent offseason shoulder surgery to fully correct the issue, and the expectation is that he will be ready for the regular season but might miss training camp.
If he can fully shake off the previous issues, the Bucs would be in a much better position to produce via the ground game and support Baker Mayfield.
How Will Kenny Gainwell Factor In?
It was an open secret by the end of 2025 that Rachaad White had both feet fully out the door. As useful as he was for 4 seasons, it’s clear he tired of his role and seemingly the coaching staff as a whole, so off he went to Washington where he will play with close friend Jayden Daniels.
Needing a true 1b to complement Bucky’s 1a, Tampa acted expeditiously in free agency to secure Kenny Gainwell, who is coming off a career year for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 27-year-old produced like one of the best receiving backs in football, tallying 73 receptions for 486 yards and 3 touchdowns.
He’ll get significant snaps for Tampa, as the Bucs like to prominently feature running backs in the passing attack and that should only continue under Zac Robinson, who got the ball to Bijan Robinson an obscene amount (79 catches, 820 yards, 4 touchdowns).
Truthfully, Gainwell could be poised to seize a lion’s share of the touches if he remains effective as a pass catcher and runner (he averaged 4.7 yards per carry while totaling 537 rushing yards and 5 TDs) and Irving falters in his return.
It’ll be interesting to see play out early in the season.
Does Sean Tucker Still Play a Role?
Surprisingly still on the roster is one of the NFL’s best RB3s, Sean Tucker.
A restricted free agent, the Bucs waited until the last moment to tender Tucker for one year at a significant $3.52 million. That’s no insignificant amount of cash, as that’s nearly the worth of Irving’s entire 4-year rookie deal.
Tucker was inarguably Tampa’s most effective runner most of last season, as he led the team in rushing touchdowns with 7 and added another receiving score to go along with 354 total yards. The Syracuse product has always showcased an intriguing blend of homerun potential and short-yardage effectiveness, which the Bucs have generally lacked on the ground, but he’s also struggled with seeing the field consistently and producing at efficient clips (he averaged less than 4 YPC in 2025).
Given Irving’s healthy question marks and the unknown of Gainwell joining the fray, Tucker will need to make his touches count early if he hopes to parlay them into a bigger piece of the pie.
