Buccaneers running back hints he's moving on in 2026

That’s a wrap on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2025 season.

After a hot start, the Bucs fizzled out down the stretch, winning just two of their last nine games and failing to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Changes are coming for Tampa Bay. We’ll see if that involves the coaching staff or not, but this team will have plenty of new faces on it when they return from offseason workouts.

One player in particular who won’t likely be returning next year is running back Rachaad White. After finishing up his rookie deal, the veteran running back took to social media to thank Bucs fans for the last four years for their support, insinuating he will be on the move come free agency.

Rachaad White also posted this on IG. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent in March. https://t.co/Ku0K4YCZEx pic.twitter.com/BfmYNAigB9
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) January 4, 2026

White has held multiple roles in his four years with the Bucs. As a rookie, he played understudy to Leonard Fournette and was mostly utilized as a receiving back before stepping into a starting role in 2023. That season as a feature back, White finished 10 yards shy of 1,000 yards but totaled over 1,500 total yards and nine touchdowns. In 2024, he entered the season as the starter but was slowly overtaken by rookie Bucky Irving, falling into more of a third-down and change-of-pace back role that he occupied this season.

In 2025, White had an up-and-down year with his usage. Irving’s injury paved the way for him to be the starter for seven games, but he was relegated to third-down duties once he returned. He was still able to rush for 572 yards on 132 carries for four touchdowns. Irving ran for 588 on 46 more carries with just one score.

For the first time in his career, White failed to record 50 receptions and did not find the end zone through the air. He had six scores last year, a sign of his usage being down compared to previous seasons, which was a curious development in itself. White would rip off a big gain and not see the field for the next drive, and he certainly was not used out of the backfield in the ways he had been utilized in the past.

Coming up 10 yards shy of 1,000 yards in 2023 and the way these last two seasons have played out has led to frustrations from the young running back, who will be looking to move on from the Bucs and find a new home in 2026.

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