If you watched the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022 or 2023, you know the vibe. It was basically a lot of passing and a rushing attack that felt like running into a brick wall. For two straight years, this team sat dead last in the NFL in almost every rushing category. It was painful. But something clicked with the tampa bay running backs 2024 rotation that changed the entire geometry of the offense.
By the end of the 2024 season, the Bucs weren't just "improved" on the ground. They were actually explosive.
They finished the year ranked third in the league in yards per carry ($5.25$) and fourth in total rushing yards ($2,536$). That’s a massive jump from being the worst-ranked unit in football. Honestly, most of that credit goes to a rookie named Bucky Irving and a shift in philosophy under offensive coordinator Liam Coen.
The Bucky Irving Factor: A Rookie Masterclass
Most fourth-round picks are lucky to get ten touches a game. Bucky Irving isn't most players. He finished 2024 as the highest-graded rookie in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus, posting a monster 90.8 grade.
He didn't just play well; he broke records.
Irving’s $5.4$ yards per carry average is now the highest for any rookie in Bucs history. In fact, in the context of the whole NFL, only Adrian Peterson and Clinton Portis had better rookie seasons with $200+$ carries. Think about that for a second. You've got this kid from Oregon coming in and putting up numbers comparable to Hall of Fame talents.
What made Irving special was his ability to make people miss. He led the league with a $37.1%$ missed tackle rate. Basically, four out of every ten times a defender tried to wrap him up, he just... wasn't there.
He finished the 2024 season with:
- $1,122$ rushing yards (leading all NFL rookies)
- $1,514$ scrimmage yards
- $8$ rushing touchdowns
- $47$ receptions
He became the engine. By November, the coaching staff stopped pretending it was a standard "timeshare" and started feeding the hot hand.
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Rachaad White and the Shift in Role
It’s easy to look at Rachaad White’s 2024 and think he lost his job. That’s not quite right. White actually had a career year in terms of efficiency, even if his volume took a hit. He averaged $4.3$ yards per carry—a significant jump from the $3.6$ he put up the year before.
White became the ultimate "Swiss Army Knife." He was still the primary pass-blocker and a massive threat in the screen game. He finished with $613$ rushing yards and $393$ receiving yards, finding the end zone nine times total.
Liam Coen’s system used White to keep defenses honest. He’d soften them up with perimeter runs and then Irving would come in to slash through the middle. It worked. For the first time in forever, the Bucs had a "thunder and lightning" dynamic that didn't feel forced.
The Sean Tucker Outburst
We have to talk about Week 6 against the New Orleans Saints. If you blinked, you missed Sean Tucker putting up numbers that most starters don't see in a month.
With Rachaad White sidelined by a foot injury, Tucker stepped up and dropped $136$ rushing yards and $56$ receiving yards. He scored twice. It was the kind of performance that earns you NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Tucker finished the year with $308$ rushing yards on just $50$ carries. That’s a ridiculous $6.2$ average.
While he remained the "third" guy for much of the season, his presence meant the Bucs had three legitimate threats in the backfield. They became the first team in franchise history to have four different players (including Baker Mayfield’s scrambles) top $300$ rushing yards in a single season.
How the Rushing Offense Transformed (By the Numbers)
| Category | 2023 Performance | 2024 Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Yards Per Carry | 3.4 (32nd) | 5.25 (3rd) |
| Total Rushing Yards | 1,509 | 2,536 |
| Rushing First Downs | 88 | 137 |
| 100+ Yard Games | 5 | 14 |
Why the Scheme Change Worked
Liam Coen brought a "Mid-Zone" and "Counter" heavy scheme from his time with the Rams and Kentucky. It suited the tampa bay running backs 2024 group perfectly.
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Last year, the Bucs ran a lot of "Duo"—basically just double-teaming at the line and hoping the back found a hole. It was predictable. Coen added pullers. He used more motion. He forced defenses to defend "every blade of grass," as he likes to say.
When you have a guy like Bucky Irving who has elite contact balance, you don't need a massive hole. You just need a crease. Coen’s scheme created those creases.
Also, Baker Mayfield’s career year (4,500 yards and 41 TDs) happened because the run game was so good. Defenses couldn't just sit in a "two-high" shell and wait for Mike Evans to go deep. They had to bring a safety down to stop Irving. When they did that, Evans and Chris Godwin (before his injury) had one-on-one matchups.
The Impact of Injuries
It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. The season took a dark turn in Week 7 when Chris Godwin went down for the year and Mike Evans hit the shelf for a month.
This is where the running backs really saved the season.
With the wide receiver room depleted, Coen started using Irving and White together on the field more often. They weren't just running the ball; they were essentially the primary receivers. In the latter half of the season, if the Bucs needed a first down on 3rd-and-6, it was usually a check-down to a back or a designed swing pass.
The efficiency on third downs was historic. The 2024 Bucs produced the 14th-best third-down conversion rate in NFL history ($50.9%$). A huge chunk of that was due to the versatility of the backfield.
Looking Ahead to 2025 and Beyond
So, where does this leave the room?
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Bucky Irving is the guy. He’s the unquestioned RB1 heading into the next cycle. He’s cheap, he’s young, and he’s arguably a top-10 back in the league already.
Rachaad White is entering a contract year (sorta). He’s a vital piece of the locker room and the passing game, but the team will have to decide if they want to pay for a "premium" backup or a 1B option.
Sean Tucker has shown enough to be a starter elsewhere, which makes him a fascinating trade piece or a high-end insurance policy for Tampa.
Actionable Takeaways for Bucs Fans:
- Keep an eye on the OC search: With Liam Coen's success, he's a hot name for head coaching gigs. If he leaves, the run scheme might change again.
- Draft Strategy: Don't expect the Bucs to take a RB early in 2025. They found their trio.
- Fantasy Football: Bucky Irving is a locked-in RB1 for 2025 drafts. Rachaad White remains a high-floor PPR flex play.
The 2024 season proved that you don't need a first-round superstar to have an elite ground game. You just need the right scheme and a guy who refuses to go down on the first hit.
The tampa bay running backs 2024 story is one of the most successful identity shifts in recent NFL history. From dead last to the top five, the Bucs finally found the balance they've been chasing since the Super Bowl run. It wasn't just about running the ball; it was about making the entire offense impossible to predict.
To dig deeper into the 2024 season, you should check out the advanced rushing metrics on Next Gen Stats or the full team breakdown at Buccaneers.com.