RBs coach Skip Peete.

Recently on “Up and Adams,” hosted by Kay Adams, seen on FanDuel TV, Bucs running back Bucky Irving swore he doesn’t care about stats or touches and just wants to win.

Bucky emphasizes his fellow Bucs running backs will get touches, so there’s no reason for him to hog the ball when he can spare himself hits perhaps be fresher later in the season.

So when a star claims he doesn’t care about touches, Joe is always suspicious.

Earlier this week, straight-shooting Bucs running backs coach Skip Peete spoke to the local pen and mic club. Joe asked Peete if Bucky really is that unselfish.

Peete was very clear: “Yes.”

And if folks don’t believe Peete, he suggested looking at Bucky’s history.

“He played at the University of Oregon, they had five backs,” Peete said.

Bucky was just one of five backs Oregon used, and if Bucky whined about that, the Bucs may have never drafted him because of how much they value character.

The way Peete spoke, if Bucky was a selfish guy, he likely wouldn’t want him.

“They were all good,” Peete said about the Ducks backs. “I’ve only been two places where I didn’t utilize three or four backs. I was in Chicago with Matt Forte, and I was in with the Los Angeles Rams, with Todd Gurley.

“Other than that, all my years … I used three or four backs. … My first year here, we didn’t have three or four. We only had, I think, two.”

Why does Peete like so many backs? Well, each has a different skillset. Peete tries to match it with the plays called.

“We try to utilize those guys to the best of their ability,” Peete said. “I mean, the most important thing is, we want to try to put these guys in position to have success.”

Peete also said he plans to play the hot hand this fall, whether that is Rachaad White or Sean Tucker or Bucky. Peete noted that in his book, “starter” is misleading. It just means a guy is on the field for the first snap. A starter, Peete said, may not get any touches. He could get a bunch.

“Whoever is hot, we’re going to let him roll a little bit,” Peete said. “It could be any one of the three.”

The only running back Peete has coached who is as unselfish as Bucky was Marion Barber, Peete said, when Peete was running backs coach in Dallas for Bill Parcells and Wade Phillips.

Joe wonders how much Peete wants to spread the ball around. Would that be riding the hot hand or more about saving Bucky for the long haul? Maybe a little of both?

Bucky is not built to withstand punishment like Derrick Henry.