A pivotal season is on the horizon for Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White.
It’s a contract year for White and the second season for the emerging Bucky Irving, who has earned a larger role after a stellar rookie campaign.
White’s not shying away from the breadth of the moment and plans to hit the situation head on.
“I’m ready to see what the year holds,” White told RG.org’s DJ Siddiqi recently. “I’m coming into the last year of my deal, I’m ready to prove what I got and what I got going on.”
White’s coming off a 2024 season -- the third of his career -- in which he rushed for 613 yards on a career-best 4.3 yards per carry to go along with 51 receptions for 393 yards and nine total touchdowns.
However, most who followed the Bucs were clamoring for more touches from Irving. The rookie rumbled for 1,122 yards, debuting with the franchise’s first 1,000-yard rushing season since 2015 (Doug Martin).
Irving, who ran for eight TDs, averaged 5.4 yards per carry and still had time to haul in 47 catches for 392 yards.
By season’s end, he had emerged as the clear lead back.
“We know what we both bring to the table, but me and him, we’re not one of them egos-and-pride backfield,” said White, who led the Bucs with 990 rushing yards in 2023. “We like to give credit where credit is due. A lot of things have transpired with the rushing attack. It’s a lot of things that go into it. Me and him, we like to give our whole line a lot of credit. We feel like we got a great O-line and we all got better throughout the year together in unison.”
Bucs 2024 offensive coordinator Liam Coen is now the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach and Josh Grizzard has taken the Bucs’ OC reins. So, there’s some change to be expected, but it’s a safe assumption that White will have fewer opportunities than in previous seasons with Irving on the rise.
White plans to attack his opportunities no matter how often they come.
“My biggest thing is to attack every day,” White said. “Show them who I am. At the end of the day, you can only control what you can control. You have to go out there and prove it every day. I look at that in all walks of life, so I’m just going out with my mindset, just attack every day, show them who I am, and let the chips fall where they may.”
As the chips fall and the yards are hopefully gained, White’s taking on the season through a realistic lens. He’s also enjoying his time with his running mate, regardless of how his touches might’ve declined.
“We got our Bad Boys handshake and things like that that we do,” White said of his relationship with Irving. “That’s our big name for ourselves. We call each other Bad Boys, for sure. It’s been amazing, our relationship is great.”
Irving and White helped the Bucs to a fourth consecutive NFC South title last season, driving the NFL’s fourth-ranked rushing offense. It was certainly a great relationship for Tampa Bay in 2024 with at least one more ahead.