Running back Sean Tucker rumbles down the sideline Saturday against the Titans.
Bucs backup running back Sean Tucker, the team’s current No. 2 running back until Rachaad White gets healthy, had an OK night last night. Had one big run of 23 yards.
Tucker is sort of a fan favorite since he was a steal in 2023, having been undrafted out of Syracuse due to a heart issue. Last year Tucker blew up against the slimy Saints with 136 yards, averaging nine yards a carry. He ended 2024 averaging six yards a carry.
After rushing for 50 yards on 13 carries with a touchdown Saturday in a worthless preseason game against the mighty Titans, and with White on the shelf for who knows how long, Bucs coach Todd Bowles sort of gave Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard a public piece of advice this morning.
That is: Tucker needs more touches.
“Sean brings us another explosive runner,” Bowles said. “He’s a game breaker for us. He’s got very good contact balance, he can break a lot of tackles, and he can naturally find holes.
“He’s very fast, but he looks so smooth doing it that you can’t really tell until he gets out in the open field, and then he’s tough to bring down.
“He has great vision, and every opportunity he’s gotten, he’s shown [up]. Like I keep telling the guys on offense, we’ve got to give him the ball more.”
Hhhmmm? Did Joe detect a slight sense of frustration over Tucker’s use/non-use? “Telling the guys on offense.” Does that include past offensive coordinators Dave Canales and Liam Coen?
Joe knows Bowles’ wish is music to Tucker’s fans who frequent this here corner of the interwebs. And Bowles is right. When Tucker has gotten chances, at least last season, he has answered the bell.
In a big picture view, Joe suspects White will bolt after the season in free agency. No one has told Joe this, but White in the past few months has sort of had cryptic messages on social media about his future come March.
If that happens, then Tucker will become Bucky Irving’s backup, the next Bucs No. 2 back.
As far as Tucker’s playing time, could it be that Bucs offensive coordinators, past and present, believed they may be tipping pitches with Tucker on the field? The numbers don’t bear that out.
Tucker had 112 offensive snaps last season and was targeted 12 times in the passing game, or 11 percent of the snaps. White logged 591 offensive snaps in 2024. He was targeted 9 percent of the snaps.
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