Bucs bring back RB Sean Tucker on one-year tender

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a quiet move that carries more weight than it looks at first glance, bringing back running back Sean Tucker on his one-year tender, as first reported by Greg Auman.

Tucker is coming off the most productive stretch of his three-year career last season, showing more consistency as both a runner and a complementary piece in the offense. In 2025, he handled 86 carries for 320 yards and found the end zone seven times, while also forcing missed tackles and creating yardage after contact at a steady rate.

It wasn’t a breakout season in terms of volume, but it was the clearest sign yet that he can hold a goal-line/power running back role.

Now lets consider and factor in the current Buccaneers running back depth chart. With Rachaad White no longer in the picture, Tucker slides up into the No. 2 spot heading into the draft, which changes the conversation entirely. This isn’t just a depth piece being retained; it’s a player who is now one injury or one shift away from taking on a much larger workload in an offense that he is familiar with.

The Buccaneers are heading into the draft with flexibility at the position, but they’ve also put themselves in a spot where they don’t have to force a move. Tucker gives them a baseline, someone who has shown enough to be trusted while still leaving room to add competition if the value is there.

This move won't dominate the headlines, but it shapes how the roster is built. Tucker isn’t just back; he’s part of the plan, and where he sits on the depth chart going into the draft makes that pretty clear.

This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: NFL Offseason: Bucs bring back RB Sean Tucker on one-year tender