Kenneth Gainwell and Bucky Irving Can Coexist Despite Overlapping Skill Sets on a Crowded Depth Chart

Kevin Szafraniec
March 19, 2026

Kevin Szafraniec details the prospects for the Buccaneers’ backfield this season following Tampa Bay’s signing of Kenneth Gainwell in free agency.

Tampa Bay’s 2025 season was one to forget for multiple reasons. Chief among them was a deteriorating offense that had ranked among the NFL’s elite just a year earlier. While the passing game had its own problems to deal with, the running game was dealt a huge blow as 2024 rookie standout Bucky Irving missed a large chunk of the season with injury.

Tampa Bay is attempting to put 2025 in the rearview as quickly as possible. The transformation started at the top with the hiring of a new offensive coordinator. Then, at the opening of free agency, the Buccaneers signed dynamic running back Kenneth Gainwell to a two-year, $14.0M contract to serve as a running mate for Irving in 2026. On the surface, the fit is a bit odd, given that both backs have similarly slight builds and potentially overlapping skill sets. Things get even more convoluted with the potential return of Sean Tucker, forming a three-man backfield rotation.

Will there be enough touches to go around for all of the Tampa Bay backs, or is this a situation that fantasy managers should be steering clear of in 2026?

Be sure to check out the rest of our series on the top landing spots from free agency!

Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

Can Isaiah Likely Rekindle His Early-Career Hype in New York?

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Keep an eye out for Volume 3, which will drop after the 2026 NFL Draft!

An Unlikely Breakout

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Kevin Szafraniec

Lead Writer and Full-time Cat Dad. Sneakerhead, Record Collector, Beatmaker, Lord of the Rings Superfan, and Jeopardy Enthusiast in my free time. Follow me on X and Bluesky @thecatdadff

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