Grading the move: Bucs reach agreement with a dynamic running back who could add more zing to the passing game
Tampa Bay appears set to add a versatile weapon for their offense.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are off and running in free agency and didn’t waste much time in making a move to shore up a major roster shortcoming.
Coming into free agency, the Bucs are set to potentially lose two of their top three running backs in Rachaad White and Sean Tucker. With Bucky Irving missing the better part of two months with shoulder and ankle issues, the team needed an experienced option to go with him for 2026, particularly if Tucker and White both leave.
On Monday, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz, they found just that in former Philadelphia and Pittsburgh running back Kenneth Gainwell.
Overview of Kenneth Gainwell
If you look in the dictionary for balanced, you might just see Gainwell’s picture in there. He’s one of the best pass catching running backs in the league, and that’s where you saw him shine last season in Pittsburgh.
Gainwell led the Steelers last season with 73 catches, and his 486 receiving yards were tied for second-most on the team. Over his five-year career in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, he appeared in 83 regular season games with six starts, totaling 1722 rushing yards on 394 attempts with 17 rushing touchdowns. He has 175 career catches for 1207 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns.
A to Z Sports Pittsburgh writer had the following to say about Gainwell.
“Kenny Gainwell won’t get the notoriety of many of the other players in free agency, but you will see how much teams value him when he signs a new deal. After starting the season as a third-string back in camp, Gainwell rose through the mud to become the second leading receiver on offense, and by the end of the year, he was voted team MVP.
“Yes, on a playoff team with Aaron Rodgers, T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Joey Porter Jr., and many more, it was Gainwell, who wasn’t even a starter, that was named the team’s most valuable player. A true dual threat at only 26 years of age, Gainwell will be an instant impact addition for any offense.”
Grading the move: B
I’m not thrilled with two years at $14 million with $10 million guaranteed for a player who should not be a starting running back in this offense, provided Irving can stay healthy. That feels like a bit of a heavy figure there.
And, at 5-9, 200 pounds, while he runs hard, Gainwell isn’t going to punish tacklers or otherwise serve as a true change of pace compliment to Irving, so they didn’t diversify the backfield too much with the pickup.
That said, finding a player who’s THAT good in the passing game can truly add an element to the Bucs’ offense regardless. The Bucs found significant success in 2023 with White in the passing game, and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson will now have two versatile pieces to deploy at his design come September.