Rachaad White Says He Was “Underutilized” And “Underrated”
April 18th, 2026
In the 50 seasons of Buccaneers history, Rachaad White ranks tied for fifth on the all-time list of running backs scoring touchdowns.
Only Mike Alstott, James Wilder, Warrick Dunn and Doug Martin have more.
Last year, White averaged 4.3 yards per carry (4 touchdowns) and stayed healthy for a fourth consecutive season. Bucky Irving was the Bucs’ go-to back, though, and he averaged 3.4 yards per carry (1 touchdown).
After the season, White sprinted out of One Buc Palace and the Bucs didn’t try to catch him. He landed with the Commanders on a one-year deal that pays him $2 million plus a bunch of incentives. White earned $3.5 million with the Bucs last season.
Tampa Bay replaced White in free agency for $7 million with a Bucky Irving clone who also plays special teams: Steelers running back Kenny Gainwell.
Back in mid-January, White seemed very unhappy with Todd Bowles and/or former offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard.
After several weeks to reflect, White told the Commanders website this week that his Tampa time wasn’t appreciated.
“Underutilized? We could say, ‘Yeah.’ I feel like I’ve been kind of underrated, too,” White said. “But it’s why we get to play this game. It’s why God gave me another opportunity to be able to show it. And obviously, during the journey I’ve been through, it ain’t really kind of nothing new to me.”
White went on to say his résumé speaks for itself. “Each year I have gotten better regardless of the touches I have got, and things like that,” White said.
It’s hard to argue White was not a valuable cog in the Bucs offense: production, durability, pass blocking, and White was a weapon when he got the ball in space. But the Bucs struggled to get White the ball in space last season.
Joe could argue (perhaps unsuccessfully) White was as valuable as Jamel Dean. However, the Bucs replaced White with a quality player in free agency. That hasn’t been the case with Dean. Maybe they’ll go there early in Thursday’s draft.
April 18th, 2026 at 3:20 pm
When Rachaad White was in the game
You will see Bucky Irving on the sidelines pouting
For some strange reason, they didn’t care for Rachaad White
When Bucky was out, they went to Tucker more instead of White
The Bucs made stupid decisions last year, they constantly played the wrong players
April 18th, 2026 at 3:21 pm
White couldn’t stomach the idea of another year of Baker, so he left the team, the same way future HOF’ers David and Evans did.
I kid, I kid.
Or do I?
Anywho, White IS a better overall player than Gainwell, in particular as an exceptional blocking RB who more than once saved Baker’s life after Otton, or whatever tackle of the week left a defensive lineman blow past them. In that regard, he’s going to be way more missed than people think. Also White was an exceptional receiver, and he was a good runner when he wasn’t stuck in an ultra predictable scheme.
But a big part of White’s lack of production last year was related to the above. With so many injuries on the offensive line, he was asked to stay in and keep Baker from ending up on IR – and he did so. But that also mean the team was using him a lot less in the passing game, where he excelled.
White does need to be in certain schemes to do well in the running game, he’s not Bucky, he’s not a quick twitch guy, he’s a patient runner who waits for holes to develop, and does a good job of picking up yards – but that patience can also get him in trouble when moronic coaches demand he play the role of Michael Pittman and just run at full speed into the back of his offensive lineman. So with the Redskins, I’m not sure how they’ll use him, but if they’re smart, they’ll have him at the very least playing protector for their injured QB.
April 18th, 2026 at 3:29 pm
Rachael was def a good blocker, Bucky and Tucker are better pure runners imho. Gainwell is just as good if not better as a receiver than White. RB is the farthest from our problems. Get a solid G in the first few rounds. Get the trenches fortified, and we are fine.
April 18th, 2026 at 3:31 pm
Agree. He was underutilized. But at least we got a great replacement. Just as good or better. Would’ve like to keep White though.
April 18th, 2026 at 3:46 pm
Biggest disappointment was the offensive coordinator. No imagination. Very poor in red zone. Also terrible special teams except for field goals
April 18th, 2026 at 3:47 pm
Skip Peete decided who’s in or out on a particular play so that is who he should have his beef with but Peete seems to have his own agenda.
April 18th, 2026 at 3:50 pm
Gotta agree with White on this one but also because he had to stay and protect Bakers Bacon he seems to have gotten the Devin White Disease of “Look what they did to me”. It sounds selfish and am a bit surprised coming from him but, MEH.
April 18th, 2026 at 3:54 pm
Gainwell is a *better* pass blocker than White. He’s also faster, shiftier, and an even better receiver. There isn’t anything White is better than Gainwell at except maybe straight ahead power and that’s debatable since Gainwell is built like a truck. Very dense and strong for his size.
April 18th, 2026 at 4:36 pm
White was terrible. Another wasted pick. Cya cuz
April 18th, 2026 at 4:36 pm
White was a great receiving back but underutilized in that capacity last season. But, not great vision for running lanes in my opinion. I still think Tucker is the best rb on the team and his talent is wasted.
April 18th, 2026 at 4:37 pm
@RodMunch Are you going to be ok if the one Joe is correct and they give Baker a big boy contract? I just don’t want to hear that your head exploded if that happened or your heart doing the same thing. After the article is written what will you post about it? Are you good with the Bucs giving Baker a good contract.
April 18th, 2026 at 4:38 pm
White is totally correct and you can’t blame him for leaving. Forwhatever reason the Bucs seemed content with letting him go. If they valued him their would have been talks with him. So forwhatever reason the Bucs were not interested. Is Gainwell a better overall back. I guess we will see the Bucs definately paying him more. I will say this White was the best back on the Bucs last year and the stats prove it. I am sad to see White go. With that said yes the Bucs currently have a lot of others players, who really are not starters that I wish they would have let go instead of White. Yes some big personnel issues exist. White may be going to a better place
April 18th, 2026 at 4:50 pm
Runningwise, over the past couple years, I thought the Bucs were best served with both White and Tucker in the game. The powers-that-be preferred both of them on the bench. Gainwell had good stats in one year as Rodgers’ safety valve and deserves a chance. But if Tucker is stuck on the sidelines another year, he’ll be gone as a well-rested 25-year-old. Bucky and Gainwell can’t both be happy sharing the spot as part-timers, even if injuries don’t get them. As for White, he’s been a good soldier, and I hope he earns all his incentives.
April 18th, 2026 at 5:32 pm
I’ve got to agree with White; he was under utilized and under appreciated, at least for last season. The year prior, Bucky deservedly won the job and clearly was better.
But in 2025, Rashaad was the better player, and was relegated to the bench. He is one of the best in the NFL at catching passes out of the backfield, and yet was rarely used in that way last season. It made ZERO sense. I understand why he raced out of Tampa after the season.
April 18th, 2026 at 5:43 pm
White wasn’t buried with FA offers so I’ll take a wait and see view with him. He sounds like he has confidence in himself so that’s good. However Washington is a top landing spot for Love.
April 18th, 2026 at 6:11 pm
Miller5252,
Many of us are perfectly OK if Munch’s “head explodes” when Baker signs his big new contract. In fact, I would prefer it. Munch poses as some sort of football analyst when he is really just a whiney fraud who as a mediocre clarinet player in his high school marching band. Here is how I know. People that actually competed in sports are generally respectful to their fellow competitors. The complainers are guys who could never cut it in the arena. All real athletes know it.
April 18th, 2026 at 7:11 pm
I think White had it when Bucs coaches promised to go with the “hot hand” and then went with Stone Cold Bucky instead. I think Joe said he saw a change in White, he used to be available after games and was lauded for helping Bucky in his rookie year but last season that changed. White would leave the locker room early and did not talk as much. The coaching staff’s bad game plans down the stretch helped White think the way he does. Interesting that the hot hand malarkey came up the same time Bowles started to meddle with the O.
April 18th, 2026 at 7:51 pm
He ain’t wrong. He was way underutilized. ESPECIALLY, when we were without our Top-3 WR’s.
April 18th, 2026 at 8:03 pm
Coaching means everything in the NFL. When you have a neophyte stooge reporting to an over-deployed egotistical know it all, it’s a formula for the kind of bad coaching we saw on every phase of the team. Mike, Dean, Chad, Izien, Hall all couldn’t get gone fast enough because of one reason. 🤡
April 18th, 2026 at 8:29 pm
Thank you for your service, good luck in the future. You weren’t alone. Evans, Dean, and Hall wanted out too. We all did when Todd was retained.
April 18th, 2026 at 8:31 pm
He had one good year as a RB. Can’t command CMC dollars if you can’t move through the line and gain yards. Three years trying to coach him up is not sustainable……BYE
April 18th, 2026 at 9:50 pm
There are very few real RB difference makers so I don’t really care. Seems to me like the Bucs had three of the same kind of RB last season and that remains the same for this season. I’d trade any one of the three for a bruiser like Mike Alstott or LeGarrette Blount who I knew could pick up 2 yards with no blocking at all.
I have a funny feeling he was disruptive in the clubhouse which is why he was openly rushing out the door and the Bucs were glad to hold it open for him. The ultimate “dis” is that they were more than willing to pay Tucker nearly twice as much as White will get this year from the Commanders. He won’t get used a ton there, either. Washington seems to rotate their backs more than any team in the league (never take one on your fantasy team).
April 18th, 2026 at 10:09 pm
Miller5252 Says:
April 18th, 2026 at 4:37 pm
@RodMunch Are you going to be ok if the one Joe is correct and they give Baker a big boy contract?
————
If he goes out next year and has a big season, actually wins some meaningful games when it counts – and we’re not hearing about how he’s ‘injured’ after every bad throw – then I’ll have no issues at all.
April 18th, 2026 at 10:44 pm
I very much like this guy and wish him well. Our special teams were so bad we had to make this change. Awful shame.
I guess Todd thinks he can draft another dean which actually night happen
Im mad about last season w reddick and special teams. I dont see any thing that stupid this off-season so far
April 18th, 2026 at 11:10 pm
@Rod Munch hell yeah! Let’s hope everyone is chanting MVP the last few games of the year instead of week 8. Who knows, maybe he’ll win you over and you’ll be the one pulling the Mayfield bandwagon right!!
April 18th, 2026 at 11:18 pm
@ Gipper I hope Baker has a chip the size of Florida this year and uses it to prove everyone wrong! I get why some don’t want to pay him after how he fell off and there was really no official news of him being really hurt. Im on the side of paying so he can grow with the young receivers and stay together for a long time, especially if they draft another young talent on the offense side with pick 1. Use the chip to make em all eat crow is what this team needs this year!
April 18th, 2026 at 11:20 pm
I don’t think he’s as good as Gainwell, but he was a good receiver and a pretty good blocker and ran pretty well last year . He will be missed, but it’s not the end of the world
April 19th, 2026 at 12:12 am
White and Tucker were next man up when Bucky was out, and they did the job that next man up is supposed to do.
Dumping them to give disproportionate touches to Irving week after week down the stretch when his production was inferior was just dumb football, and it cost the Bucs the division title.
Hopefully, after a spring and summer to get back into shape, and with better play calling, Irving’s production will rebound. If not, if White is a free agent again next year, it should be worth four or five million to bring him back.
April 19th, 2026 at 1:23 am
Underutilized maybe, underrated? Nah.
April 19th, 2026 at 2:38 am
If Jayson Lite did the right thing, we would be having an exciting off-season.
This is painful. Time for a second liver transplant.
April 19th, 2026 at 4:08 am
Poor man’s very poor man Bell from Pittsburgh
Bell had vision. White nope
April 19th, 2026 at 9:14 am
The last time White was the featured back, 2023, the Bucs averaged a meager 3.4 yards per carry, not all on him, but enough said
April 19th, 2026 at 9:46 am
Colton- right, and that’s because the offensive line wasn’t as strong as it was in 2024. And will be again this year if they can stay healthy.
April 19th, 2026 at 10:25 am
Another swing and miss at RB with a premium pick burned that should have been used in the trenches. The Bucs cant scout running backs to save their lives. White was solid in pass pro and route running, but he was never the dynamic runner they expected him to be when they took him in the 2nd round.
April 19th, 2026 at 12:23 pm
I think the Bucs are systematically getting rid of every locker room cancer they had. This guy was clearly one of them. I also think that’s a big part of why JPP was here.
April 19th, 2026 at 5:18 pm
he will be under utilized again if he keeps stopping 2 yards behind the line , with a hole right in front of him . another running back that cannot run five or 6 yards without stopping and trying to cut……… I will say he probably ran the best since being drafted last year but all the stopping and hesitating just kills you down and distance.
April 19th, 2026 at 8:59 pm
With so many good backs I knew it would be an issue with him getting touches. Look at 1996 Alstott and Dunn were the one two punch. Eric Rhett could not get on the field. He was not as talented but he was a good back. I liked White but he will never get enough touches the Bucs were loaded at RB last season just like there were to many talented receivers. You would need a very creative offense to maximize that much talent.
April 20th, 2026 at 2:46 pm
The lack of usage of White was a huge disservice to our offense. Anyone with half a brain could see it.
Also crazy that Rachaad ranks 5th all-time for Bucs RBs, and was only here for 4 seasons.
Just goes to show you how offensively starved this franchise has been for most of it’s history.