The Sean Tucker Mystery
August 22nd, 2026
Thin ice?
What the hell is Sean Tucker doing on the field in the fourth quarter, playing against a bunch of auto mechanics and insurance claims adjusters?
Sean Tucker is a weapon. Might be the best No. 3 running back in the league. But to hear Rondé Barber, Tucker is on thin ice.
Throughout the game Saturday night, Barber, the Bucs Hall of Famer and color analyst on preseason TV broadcasts, kept dropping hints that Tucker’s position as the Bucs No. 3 running back is anything but secure — and that Josh Williams is about to step over Tucker for a job.
In fact, when Tucker was on the kickoff team and involved in the tackle immediately after his fourth-quarter touchdown, Barber all but said that’s what the Bucs wanted to see, that Tucker could shine on special teams in order to keep his job.
Well, this has Joe fully puzzled.
The Joe typing here has seen every Bucs practice but the two in New Jersey. Tucker, at least as a running back, is clearly more productive than Williams and Tucker gets many snaps with the first team, which is a tell.
So when Barber kept dropping hints that Tucker’s job is anything but secure, it was a head-scratcher for Joe.
After Saturday’s second worthless preseason game, KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles was asked why Tucker was on the field for so much of the fourth quarter. Bowles basically cautioned reporters from reading too much into that.
Bowles said it was simply that the coaching staff wanted to see Williams play against better competition.
Joe knows who Barber talks to at One Buc Palace. He’s basically in Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht’s kitchen cabinet. Barber has mentioned he watches Bucs practice tape.
Only a very select few have access to Bucs practice tape.
So it makes Joe wonder who is dropping this intel to Barber and why? Joe can only go by play on the practice field, and there’s no question who the No. 3 running back is.
This is all very strange to Joe.
August 22nd, 2026 at 11:25 pm
Williams made a great blitz pickup, which Tucker sometimes struggles with. I think Bowles realizes that if Baker goes down, he might soon follow.
August 22nd, 2026 at 11:29 pm
Best number 3 runningback lmao think you are the only one that thinks that joe and it isnt really something to hang your hat on tucker has terrible vision and can’t block.
August 22nd, 2026 at 11:35 pm
If they let go of Tucker, they are morons and deserve to lose. This is actually what I basically think about them so it would be ridiculous and painful but hardly surprising.
He should have split time with Bucky last year. After he won offensive player of the week twice they should have rode the momentum but they are brain dead
August 22nd, 2026 at 11:43 pm
Barber is really annoying. He’s horrible as an announcer.
August 22nd, 2026 at 11:44 pm
I like Tuck. Good third RB.
One of the best league wide??… I’d agree if I could name the 3rd string running back on ANY other team. I might know of or about a RB out there who is currently a #3… I am just not aware that’s where said RB is ranked and probably what team they’d be playing for. So, I guess I’m not much of a total NFL analyst, and I’m fine with that.
I know who plays for the Bucs and where. Cue the Oohs and Ahs.
August 22nd, 2026 at 11:46 pm
I agree, Barber is really annoying. Tied with Sapp for my least favorite HOF Buc
Barber is an annoying know it all and Sapp is a POS
August 23rd, 2026 at 12:13 am
Wrote this during the game… but Tucker is a $3.52M cap hit. The Bucs can free up roughly $2.3M in cap space by going with Williams as the 3rd back. Also Tucker *might* have just enough name value to get you a draft pick in a trade, like maybe a conditional 6th, or a solid 7th.
I’m not nearly as high on Tucker as others (who said last year the Bucs wouldn’t trade him even if offered a 1st rounder – LOL!) but I’d still likely keep Tucker. But with a tight cap, a $2.3M savings isn’t something that should be dismissed.
August 23rd, 2026 at 12:16 am
I believe Bowles said they wanted to see Williams against better competition. And he is not leapfroging Tucker.