Bucky Irving, Kenneth Gainwell, Sean Tucker And Sharing The Rock
March 20th, 2026
Sharing carries in 2026?
Is Bucky Irving still the Bucs’ No. 1 back?
If you trust the figures from OverTheCap.com — Joe was told by an NFL suit at the combine with intimate knowledge of capology to be very careful taking those figures as Gospel — new Bucs running back/special teams stud Kenneth Gainwell counts $7 million against the cap.
That’s almost as much as Luke Goedeke, more than Zyon McCollum and more than Cade Otton, all starters.
It is because of this Matthew Berry of NBC/Rotoworld isn’t so sure Bucky Irving will be the Bucs’ No. 1 back this year. Or at least Bucky may not be a bellcow back.
Berry types that the Bucs didn’t bring in Gainwell, or bring back Sean Tucker, just to sit on the pine and suck Gatorade.
The Buccaneers went out and signed Kenneth Gainwell coming off a season in which he set career highs in touches (187) and scrimmage yards (1,023), on his way to finishing top five among RBs in targets, receptions, and receiving yards. You don’t get a guy performing that well to not play him. Gainwell’s pass-catching ability is the biggest concern for Bucky Irving’s fantasy prospects.
And in addition to signing Gainwell, the Bucs also brought back Sean Tucker who finished last season as their preferred goal-line option.
During Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht’s sitdown this week with Joe and select media, he noted Bucs new special teams coach Danny Smith, late of the Steelers, was heavy panting for Licht to sign Gainwell, who played special teams with the Steelers as well.
Perhaps the Bucs are spooked by Bucky’s injuries? He sure missed a lot of time with a bad shoulder and other bumps and bruises.
But Berry does have a valid point: You don’t bring in Gainwell and bring back Tucker just as backups and special teams dudes.
March 20th, 2026 at 4:27 am
Kenny Gainwell has only missed 2 games in his 5 yrs in the league so durability is there; not so with Bucky. I think we’ll see a RB-by-committee approach this season, but with Gainwell getting the most offensive snaps & touches.
After last year’s issues & performance, Bucky has a lot to prove. Can he stay on the field? Can he better his 3.4 YPC rushing average? Can he continue as a quality receiving threat? It’s gonna be an interesting year for Bucky.
March 20th, 2026 at 5:22 am
Excited about the running backs situation. The Bucs liked what they found in Bucky so they went out and got a more durable version. So now there are three backs with excellent vision, something that White lacked from behind the line, and two of them are adequate blockers (sorry Sean). For those worried about Bucky’s attitude towards having another Bucky type back on the team, all the Bucs have to do is show him what happens to a running back who becomes negative towards his team. Ergo, White’s signing for less than Sean and a one year deal.
March 20th, 2026 at 5:28 am
The signing of Gainwell is probably the best move of this off-season solidifying the running back position. Last thing anybody should be worried about is the running back position. How about that Putrid pass rush?
March 20th, 2026 at 5:34 am
Well frankly this may be partially due to Bucky’s own doing. SOMETHING seemed to be going on besides an unlucky injury. Don’t be going all Doug Martin on us ok, I’ll just put it like that. This is prob for the best regardless. He has excellent vision, really good player when healthy but he dosnt have elite physical traits like Jahmyr Gibbs, McCaffery, Bijan etc. Not gnna hurt my feelings if Gainwell is the one playing in the 4th on a critical drive to salt the game away, just want to win
March 20th, 2026 at 6:05 am
sad but maybe Bucky is mentally unstable. he went in the dumps after getting hurt
March 20th, 2026 at 6:32 am
Bucky will have a longer more productive career NOT being the bellcow and Bucky is too diminutive for that role anyway.
March 20th, 2026 at 6:49 am
ironically i used to claim…until bucky puts his hat actually on his head…like literally puts it on – rather than floating it sort of on top of his head – his head won’t be screwed on straight…lol
i think i was on to something people…lol
March 20th, 2026 at 7:42 am
Bucky stunk because of his attitude and work ethic
It had nothing to do with injuries
He stunk all throughout training camp
It was embarrassing when he had his meltdown on the sidelines
9 carries 19 yards, 5 receptions 14 yards against Miami
Then he wanna snap on the O-Line
He looked like a little spoil 6 six year old child
March 20th, 2026 at 7:47 am
You nailed it Adam – hahahahaha
March 20th, 2026 at 7:58 am
Bucky shouldn’t be gifted anything. Eyeball test from last season he is the number 3 back until he proves otherwise. Let’s face it he wasn’t good last year before he got hurt or after as well. We can say well maybe it was Grizzard but Tucker and White didn’t seem to have the same problem, he was gifted the starting job late in the season. This team is so irresponsible with the “HOPE” philosophy. We still haven’t learned that Hope doesn’t work great on either side of the ball. I hope he comes back and runs like his rookie year, but until he can prove that it shouldn’t be the number one back coming into camp.
March 20th, 2026 at 8:05 am
Bucky’s fragile mental state likely played a part as well. Like the kid, but he’s not built to be a bell-cow in the NFL. Having a 3 headed attack is probably the best move.
March 20th, 2026 at 8:37 am
Yes yes we have that three headed monster that Bowles always brags about. Only injuries will prevent fans from wondering why Sean Tucker isn’t getting more carries again even though he makes more than Bucky
March 20th, 2026 at 8:39 am
I know it’s history at this point, but the line “Gainwell’s pass-catching ability is the biggest concern for Bucky Irving…” reminded me that Gainwell once in college had a game where he had both a 100+ yards rushing and 200+ yards receiving.
You don’t often see a 200 yard rushing/100 yard receiving game, a 100yd rushing/200yd receiving gave is even rarer!
March 20th, 2026 at 8:42 am
Z-Rob has 3 viable options at RB that can compliment the offense run & pass offense, but what I want to see is if/how he goes about getting everybody involved.
All that hot-hand talk Grizz & Bowles last season was BS. I still wonder if there were any conflict internally that lead our front office to feeling justified for spending what they did in FA. Partly to make up for Whites’ departure, but also to afford our new OC the luxury of having 3 different weapons in one room.
NFL teams take deep dives into analytics in that time frame between their season ending and the new league year starting. Somebody had to look at the RB workload distribution and say “we effed up”
March 20th, 2026 at 8:48 am
Not to many 5 nothing 180 lb starting backs in the league. Bucky is not what you’d call an every down bellcow back. Bucs signed back Tucker, and Gainwell, becuase they know this all to well. Bucky could not stand up to a full season as a starting back. Bucs will bring in, or draft more of a battering ram back. We have a committee at back, not a Barkley type one man show.
March 20th, 2026 at 8:52 am
The misuse of Bucky last year was one of Josh’s biggest failings. He clearly wasn’t the same player. He was his rookie year. And white was out gaining him almost every time he was on the field. Yet. His touches diminished. Same with Tucker in terms of being the better back when he was on the field. Kenny solidifies the position. And it should be clear by what we’re paying him that he’s the number one. 1A at least.
March 20th, 2026 at 8:53 am
Really liking this stable of backs. All three can do it all which keeps the playbook wide open. No sense broadcasting your plays with a group of backs that are specialists. These guys are interchangeable regardless of down & distance.
March 20th, 2026 at 10:14 am
Bell cow usually soon means broken down.
Use a rotation to try to keep everyone healthy.
March 20th, 2026 at 10:23 am
What’s with all the bucky mental comments? So Bucky sucks now?
I don’t think so but his breakout season was with elserpiente, maybe that’s a part of it since HC seems to think gizzard is 3 years away from OC position.who really knows what’s happening? Trade him if he stinks! I don’t think so.
March 20th, 2026 at 11:46 am
“What’s with all the bucky mental comments? So Bucky sucks now?”
Idk about the mental stuff, but I do know last year was the longest stretch of time Irving was away from football dating back to his time before he got to Eugene.
Even when it was first reported, I just chalked it up to him being stressed due to injury and it taking him away from something he’s obviously been doing his whole life. At Oregon he played through injuries, even in his rookie year down the stretch Irving was taking his share of lumps.
What I didn’t like from Irving was it taking for him to have hurt his foot against Philly to hear he was playing with a bad shoulder. I’m all for guys toughing it out, but he wasn’t helping our overall situation concealing that while also taking the lion share of reps to start the season.
March 20th, 2026 at 1:44 pm
Tucker should be RB1. He’s our best all-around RB and the most explosive/fastest.
March 20th, 2026 at 2:02 pm
I don’t think any of the three is big enough to be a consistent pass protector. Perhaps we’ll have to move a tight end into the backfield. I also don’t see how you can keep three guys psychologically into the game when each spends at least two thirds of the offensive time on the bench. Running backs need to get and stay in a rhythm for optimum performance. Sporadic use also yields dubious stats since game situations vary over the course of a game.
March 20th, 2026 at 2:15 pm
Look at 2024, that’s your split.
I am still wondering what they plan on doing for pass blocking, because White was exceptional as a RB at pass blocking, and they don’t have anyone even close to his level. And Tucker … you might as well put Baker on IR right now if Tucker is going to be pass blocking for him.
Anywho, lots of time – we’ll see what the Bucs do, but it would make sense to add a big back, or maybe Ko is used a lot more in the backfield, or perhaps they draft an FB. Are there still FB’s?
March 20th, 2026 at 2:27 pm
Bucky is small for the NFL. I don’t know if that means he will be injury prone. I don’t know if he can play with the big boys. I do not think he should be the “bell cow”. I do love watching him play.
Go Bucs!!
March 20th, 2026 at 3:12 pm
No this is not a Super Bowl team of RB’s
March 20th, 2026 at 3:57 pm
Bucky Irving, 5′ 9″ 192lbs
Jahmyr Gibbs, 5′ 9″ 196lbs
Warrick Dunn, 5′ 8″ 176lbs
March 20th, 2026 at 4:01 pm
Bucky looked great on film last year – but it turns out losing half your offensive line (or more) for half the season (or more) can affect the running game.
Mix that with an offensive coordinator who was ultra predictable – AND seemingly wanted to run Bucky mostly inside, and you see the results.
Give Bucky his starting offensive line back, and give him a legit NFL-caliber OC, and he will look like the star he is.
It’s amazing how quickly think people want to throw away players because they merely had a good year, and not an ALL-PRO year, due to circumstances they had nothing to do with.
March 20th, 2026 at 5:40 pm
Correct, Munch. And Mauch is probably our most punishing run blocker who was out all year!
March 20th, 2026 at 5:42 pm
Also, Gainwell is an even better pass blocker than White.
March 20th, 2026 at 6:19 pm
When we were cleaning out coaches lockers and offices, my wish was we showed the door to the RB coach who cant teach RB how to block… Pete cant show them except on who’s behind him in the chow line… cut bait…
March 20th, 2026 at 7:15 pm
Stpetematt Says:
March 20th, 2026 at 5:42 pm
Also, Gainwell is an even better pass blocker than White.
————
I hope you’re right, but I don’t believe that at all – and nothing I’ve read or seen backs that up. White was, from everything I saw last year, the best pass blocking RB in football. I mean in 2024, I go back to that Denver game, that was the first time I really noticed how incredibly good White was as a pass blocker as White was standing up defensive lineman that literally ran over Sucke at RT. White saved Baker’s life that game probably 5 times taking on guys who looked about 90lbs heavier. After that, I really started to focus on White’s blocking, and he was just insanely good. Last year, with so many injuries on the line, part of the reason White’s stats in the passing game were down was because the team trusted him to keep Baker upright. There were so many times where Otton got beat and White stepped up and saved the day.
As for Gainwell, I love the pickup – but he’s White in the pass blocking game, and the Bucs need to figure that out. As I said above, I wouldn’t be shocked if Ko ends up playing more of an H-back role, or if they draft a TE to play more of that position. Also, with the return of the running game to football, how long until FB’s make a return?
March 21st, 2026 at 4:17 pm
Whoever has the hot hand
Signed
Rachad White