The Tampa Bay Buccaneers haven't gotten much out of Sean Tucker so far this season, but that could be about to change.
Tucker missed the season opener against Cincinnati while dealing with a hamstring injury. He returned in Week 2 but hasn't received a carry or caught a pass in either of Tampa Bay's last two games. That lack of involvement appears to be something the Bucs want to change.
When asked Wednesday about getting Tucker more opportunities in the running game, head coach Todd Bowles made it clear that the subject has already come up inside the building.
"Yeah, we talked about it. He definitely needs to run the ball a little bit more," Bowles said.
It wouldn't take much for Tucker's role to increase, considering he hasn't carried the ball
yet this season. The bigger question is how Tampa Bay plans to work him into a backfield that already features Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell.
Tucker has shown he can produce when given opportunities. He rushed for 320 yards and seven touchdowns on 86 carries last season after recording 308 yards and two touchdowns on 50 attempts in 2024. The Bucs placed a right-of-first-refusal tender on Tucker during the offseason, keeping him in Tampa Bay for another season.
That production hasn't translated into an offensive role through his first two appearances of 2026.
The timing could make getting Tucker involved even more important. Tampa Bay is 0-3 heading into Sunday's matchup against the Green Bay Packers and will turn to undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels with Baker Mayfield sidelined by a thumb injury.
Taking some pressure off Daniels should be a priority in his first NFL start, and getting another running back involved could give the Bucs an additional option as they try to find offensive consistency.
Bowles didn't promise Tucker a certain number of carries or suggest that a major shakeup is coming to Tampa Bay's backfield. He did, however, acknowledge that Tucker needs to run the ball more.
After two games without an offensive touch, Tucker may finally get an opportunity to show what he can add to this Bucs offense.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Todd Bowles hints at bigger role for Bucs running back
