Getty Image / Cliff Welch
Since the 2015 NFL season, Tampa Bay Buccaneers players have had some pretty strong individual seasons.
Over that time, Mike Evans has been racking up 1000-yard seasons and just needs a couple more of them to tie Jerry Rice for the most consecutive 1000-yard season in NFL history.
There was also a year in there where Jameis Winston threw for 5000 yards and Tom Brady was in the MVP race just a couple of years ago.
Even as the team struggled last year, Brady threw for just under 4700 yards.
Unfortunately, the Bucs’ running game hasn’t been able to produce the same kind of success.
Despite the fact that their backfield was led by a former top 5 pick in Leonard Fournette for the last 3 seasons, the team hasn’t had a 1000-yard rusher since the 2015 season.
The last running back to achieve the feat in Tampa was former Pro Bowler Doug Martin, but the team’s new lead back wants to change that.
During an appearance on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” Rachaad White revealed that he wants to end the drought for the Buccaneers during the 2023 season.
Rachaad White thinks Buccaneers have "great shot" in NFC South, wants to "eclipse" 1,000 rushing yardshttps://t.co/8d4y4OTwEI pic.twitter.com/EnJF191Spq
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) June 30, 2023
“My expectation is really just do my job,” he said. “Be the guy (general manager) Jason Licht wants me to be, but really just be myself. Go out there, have fun, hang loose. Obviously, the Bucs haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher in about eight years or so. So, I want to, of course, eclipse that.”
With Fournette gone, White is expected to step into the RB1 role for the Bucs and shouldn’t have much competition for touches with just Chase Edmonds and Ke’Shawn Vaughn behind him on the depth chart.
He proved himself as a 3-down back at Arizona State and showed flashes of his talent as a rookie while playing behind Fournette for much of the season.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense will probably face some challenges in 2023 as they move on from Tom Brady, but it wouldn’t be too surprising for Rachaad White to finally bring the franchise another 1000-yard rusher.