The Tampa Bay Buccaneers used to have the worst run game in the entire league.

Two seasons before the 2024 season, the Bucs lacked in this area on the offensive side of the ball. It wasn’t because they couldn’t do it, but that they didn’t have all the pieces to completely make up a strong run game.

They would continue running the ball, but to little success. Teams need to establish the run game to open up the pass, and Tampa Bay struggled to do so up until this past season.

The Buccaneers in 2024 had one of the greatest turnarounds in this facet of the game as they went from the worst rushing team in the NFL to one of its best in just a single season. A large part of that was due to the emergence of then-rookie Bucky Irving, who eventually became the team’s starting back.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Irving supplanted fellow running back Rachaad White as the starter, but both saw ample opportunities on the field, creating a lethal one-two punch.

In a recent sit-down with Kay Adams, the host of Up & Adams, Irving discussed how impactful White has been for him since arriving in Tampa Bay and the relationship that has only continued to blossom.

“He’s meant everything to me, man,” Irving said. “As soon as I got here, [Rachaad] took me in with open arms. He just showed me the ropes, how the NFL is gonna treat me.”

Knowing that you have two, or even three backs that can gel not only on the field but off of it as well is a tremendous bonus to any NFL team. For the Bucs, it has allowed for their running game to flourish while delivering quarterback Baker Mayfield the best season of his career.

While Irving has expressed how great it is to have a running mate like White, there has been continuous speculation that the latter could be on the trade block after losing his starting position. These rumors have been floated ever since before the NFL Draft, but nothing has yet come to fruition.

A move still could be made before the season or even in the midst of it, but Irving believes that White is good where he is at, acknowledging that a strong running back room only leads to success individually and for the team.

“Nah, man. I feel like he’s good where he’s at,” Irving said. “It’s a great 1-2 punch. We have a lot of great running backs in our room that could go anywhere and be starters.”

Tampa Bay did not take a running back in this year’s draft, so it seems as if they value what White has to offer the offense. White might not be quite the runner that Irving is, but he holds a valuable spot as a change-of-pace back, especially in the short passing game. In 2025, White will be playing on the final year of his rookie contract, so it will be intriguing to see what the Bucs’ front office does as the season unfolds.

If the season isn’t headed in the direction they hope it will, we could see White’s name gaining more traction in the trade market. If the season does go the way they hope, then the front office will have a decision to make when it comes to White’s future with the franchise this upcoming offseason.