Bucs RBs coach Skip Peete.
Recently on “Up and Adams,” hosted by Kay Adams, seen on FanDuel TV, Bucs running back Bucky Irving swore [he doesn’t care](https://www.joebucsfan.com/2025/05/im-calling-2000-scrimmage-yards-for-you/) about stats or touches and just wants to win.
Bucky emphasizes all of his fellow Bucs running backs will get touches so there’s no reason for him to hog the ball when he can save getting hit so much and maybe be fresher down the road.
So when a star player claims he doesn’t care about touches, Joe is always suspicious of that.
Earlier this week, straight-shooting Bucs running backs coach Skip Peete spoke to the local pen and mic club. Joe asked Peete if Bucky really is that unselfish.
Peete was very clear: “Yes.” And if folks don’t believe Peete, he suggested looking at Bucky’s history.
> “He played at the University of Oregon, they had five backs,” Peete said.
That’s true. Bucky was just one of five backs Oregon used. And if Bucky whined about it, the way the Bucs emphasize character, they may have never drafted him.
The way Peete spoke, if Bucky was a selfish guy, he likely wouldn’t want him.
> “They were all good,” Peete said about the Ducks backs. “I’ve only been two places where I didn’t utilize three or four backs. I was in Chicago with Matt Forte, and I was in with the Los Angeles Rams, with Todd Gurley.
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> “Other than that, all my years … I used three or four backs. … My first year here, we didn’t have three or four. We only had, I think, two.”
Why does Peete like so many backs? Well, each one has a different skillset. Peete tries to match the skillset with the plays called.
> “We try to utilize those guys to the best of their ability,” Peete said. “I mean, the most important thing is, we want to try to put these guys in position to have success.”
Peete also said he plans to play the hot hand this fall, whether that is Rachaad White or Sean Tucker or Bucky. Peete noted that in his book, “starter” is misleading. It just means a guy is on the field for the first snap. A starter, Peete said, may not get any touches. He could get a bunch.
Just depends how the game is going and who is on fire.
> “Whoever is hot, we’re going to let him roll a little bit,” Peete said. “It could be any one of the three.”
Peete said that the only running back he has coached who is as unselfish as Bucky was Marion Barber when Peete was the running backs coach in Dallas for Bill Parcells and Wade Phillips.
Joe just wonders how much Peete wants to spread the ball around, is riding the hot hand and how much of it is saving Bucky for the long haul? Maybe a little of both?
Let’s be real: Bucky is not built to withstand punishment like Derrick Henry.