Tampa Bay Buccaneers sign familiar running back

Tampa Bay makes a familiar addition to the roster before facing the San Francisco 49ers. Here's who's back with the Buccaneers.

Aug 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Despite the onslaught of injuries to begin the season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have started hot at 4-1 after a big victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5 and are now gearing up for another NFC test against the San Francisco 49ers.

The Buccaneers have had to deal with their fair share of roster shuffling due to injuries this season, and that continues ahead of their contest against the 49ers.

The team announced on Wednesday that they are signing a familiar face in running back Owen Wright to the practice squad and, in a subsequent move to make room on that 17-man unit, releasing guard Sua Opeta.

Buccaneers sign Wright, release Opeta

Aug 9, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Owen Wright (49) Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

A practice squad switch for the Buccaneers, as the team signs RB Owen Wright and releases G Sua Opeta. Wright was with the team in training camp. https://t.co/uC1b1CtpvS

— Scott Smith (@ScottSBucs) October 8, 2025

Wright, who split his collegiate career between Monmouth and William & Mary, went undrafted and previously spent time with the Baltimore Ravens on their practice squad before signing with the Buccaneers near the start of training camp in 2025 after spending the entire 2024 season on injured reserve.

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Wright appeared in all three preseason games for the Buccaneers this season, rushing a total of 26 times for a team-high 100 yards and a touchdown while adding four catches for 12 yards and a kickoff return that went for 25.

Opeta, now a six-year veteran in the league, first arrived in Tampa Bay as an unrestricted free agent in 2024 to compete with Ben Bredeson for the team's starting left guard spot. Opeta entered as the favorite, but an early-season-ending injury suffered in training camp gave Bredeson the job, which he never looked back on.

Eagles' Sua Opeta (78) warms up before Military Appreciation Night Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. Sports Eagles Open Practice | Jerry Habraken, The News Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Opeta has since rehabbed on injured reserve for the 2024 season, and signed back with the Buccaneers this most recent offseason, but was released in late August before signing back with the team as a practice squad player on September 18th due to injuries across the Bucs' trenches.

The move should come as no surprise. The Bucs are currently without star running back Bucky Irving, who is expected to miss a few weeks as he recovers from foot and shoulder injuries, so supplementing the running back room is the right move at this point.

Rachaad White, Sean Tucker and Josh Williams remain on the active roster, so the addition of Wright to the practice squad helps fill the void that was left once Williams was called up to the active roster, with Irving going down with injuries.

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