The Buccaneers didn’t bring in Kenny Gainwell to sit quietly in the background.
That much is clear after Jason Licht laid out how Tampa Bay views the former Pittsburgh Steelers back on the Sports Day Tampa Bay podcast. Rather than framing Gainwell as a simple backup to Bucky Irving, Licht described the pair as a true 1a and 1b combination.
Licht said, “Bucky and Gainwell, I mean, you use the word ‘complementary’ and that sometimes that means ‘thunder and lightning'. But in this case it means something different in a good way, 1a/1b-types that can do the same things so you don’t have to change things up if one can’t go.”
That’s a pretty strong signal for a player Tampa Bay targeted early in free agency. Gainwell has already been billed as the ideal replacement for Rachaad White, and the Buccaneers clearly believe his skill set can give them more than just a passing-down option. The source material even calls him one of the most underrated running backs in the NFL, a modern backfield weapon who brings real juice and rushing ability.
Irving still has the edge on the depth chart, and he’s already shown he can handle feature-back work. He’s also still young and was well on his way to another 1,000-yard season before injury got in the way last year. But the message from Licht is that this isn’t a setup where Irving carries the load and Gainwell merely fills in.
Sean Tucker was mentioned too, but only as the third option in the mix. That leaves Irving and Gainwell as the two backs Tampa Bay appears ready to lean on most heavily.
For now, Irving remains the No. 1. But the way Licht talked, Gainwell isn’t far behind.
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Instead, Irving was left on the outside of the conversation entirely, not even landing in the honorable-mention tier as other backs such as Breece Hall, Quinshon Judkins, Travis Etienne Jr. and Alvin Kamara drew support. For a player who flashed like a future centerpiece in Tampa Bay, the omission is the kind of slight that tends to linger, especially when the Buccaneers are still trying to figure out just how high Irvings ceiling can be once hes healthy again. [Read more 🡒]