Jason Licht’s offseason work has already given the Buccaneers plenty to like, but one addition may be turning into a bigger steal than it first looked. Kenneth Gainwell hasn’t even hit training camp with Tampa Bay yet, and he’s already drawing attention for a video that had fans buzzing.
The clip showed Gainwell repping out 495 pounds at 5'9", 200 lbs, a number that jumps off the screen no matter how you slice it. The Buccaneers shared the moment on July 20, 2026, and it only added to the sense that Tampa Bay may have found a valuable piece in its backfield.
Gainwell arrives in Tampa with five seasons of NFL experience behind him, four with the Eagles and a career year with the Steelers last season. He’s expected to back up Bucky Irving, at least in the ideal setup, but the way he’s approaching this opportunity suggests he’s not interested in simply blending into the depth chart. He’s looking for more work.
That makes him an interesting fit for a Buccaneers offense that can use him in more than one way. Over five seasons, Gainwell has appeared in 83 games and started just six, but the lack of starts hasn’t limited his workload or his usefulness. He has 394 career rushing attempts for 1,722 yards, and in 2025 he logged 114 carries for the Steelers for over 500 yards.
The appeal goes beyond the ground game, too. Last season in Pittsburgh, Gainwell caught 73 passes for 486 yards, giving Tampa Bay another reliable receiving option for Baker Mayfield. Even if Irving stays healthy all year, there’s a path for Gainwell to carve out a bigger role than a typical backup.
And if Irving misses time, the Buccaneers have reason to feel comfortable handing the job over. Gainwell signed a two-year deal with Tampa Bay this offseason, and the team is getting a runner who still has plenty left in the tank. If the workload keeps trending up, the early excitement around him may look even more justified.
In Other News...
Buccaneers Are Bringing Back One Of Their Most Beloved Looks
The Buccaneers are reaching back into their past for one of the franchises most recognizable looks, bringing back the white creamsicle uniform for the 2026 season. It is a nod to the old-school identity that still resonates in Tampa Bay, where the team now works with four uniform combinations and two helmets while keeping a careful balance between tradition and the modern look it has built in recent years.
The return is already tied to a specific spot on the schedule, with the throwback set for Week 13 against the Chargers. What the Bucs have not yet confirmed is whether the orange creamsicle version or the all-pewter alternate will be part of the mix next season, leaving a little more uniform intrigue to go with a training camp report date of July 28. [Read more 🡒]
Jacob Parrish Is Suddenly At The Center Of A Huge Bucs Question
Jacob Parrish has quietly become one of the more interesting names in Tampa Bays defensive picture heading into 2026, and the attention is starting to match the way the Buccaneers used him last season. He bounced around the formation in 2025, lining up in the slot, outside and even at linebacker, and the versatility came with real production in coverage. Among the reasons he is drawing notice is how well he held up as the primary defender in man coverage, where opposing quarterbacks did not do much damage.
The bigger question now is how much of that promise the Bucs can lean on as the secondary reshapes itself around him. Parrish is getting a stronger spotlight, and that has made him part of a larger conversation about how Tampa Bay will cover receivers and survive the changes coming to the back end of the defense. He has already shown enough to suggest he can handle more, but the next step is figuring out just how much more the Buccaneers are ready to ask of him. [Read more 🡒]
Why Baker Had Extra Fire For That Jets Game
The Netflix series Quarterback has given Buccaneers fans a closer look at Baker Mayfields edge, and one of the clearest examples came in Tampa Bays Week 3 trip to face the Jets. The episode showed how much that matchup meant to Mayfield, who carried an extra layer of motivation into the game after his time in Carolina ended in a way he clearly did not forget.
Tampa Bay left with a 29-27 win, a result that fit the tone of a statement game early in the season and helped push the Bucs to 3-0. Mayfield did his part in a tense finish, and the documentary made it clear this was more than just another regular-season test, even if the full backstory behind that fire is still part of the larger picture. [Read more 🡒]