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There was something that Bucs fans may have noticed on offense during Saturday night’s 16-15 win preseason win over the Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium. And no, it wasn’t just the electric performance by backup quarterback Jalon Daniels when he re-entered the game in the third quarter. It was actually the running back position and how the Bucs went about using their players.

After Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell played the first two series of the game, it was fourth-string running back Josh Williams who was then next in line over Sean Tucker, who is typically the third-stringer. Williams was a standout player in Tampa Bay’s first preseason game against the Jets, rushing eight times for 27 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown run along with one catch.

This made the coaching staff want to see more of him in their home game against Kansas City. Williams made his presence felt once again, rushing twice for nine yards but really showing up in the passing game with two catches for 24 yards in his only targets in the game.

Bucs RB Josh Williams – Photo by: Cliff Welch P/R

Tucker did get his opportunities, too and even had more snaps than Williams. He was a big factor in the game, scoring the game-winning touchdown while leading Tampa Bay with 23 rushing yards on five attempts.

Following the game, head coach Todd Bowles explained why the team opted for Williams first, followed by Tucker.

“He had a good game last week,” Bowles said. “He had a good game last week, and we wanted to see him against better guys, so we wanted to put him out there early. It didn’t mean [anything] as far as them flip-flopping, but we wanted to see him earlier.”

Would The Bucs Opt For Josh Williams Over Sean Tucker?

The latter half of Todd Bowles’ comments sticks out the most when he talked about it not changing the status of their roles. Sean Tucker has provided important depth for the Bucs in his three years in Tampa Bay. He’s known to have huge moments, such as his 1oo-yard rushing performances in New Orleans in 2024 and at Buffalo last season. There’s another element going into the 2026 season that may impact Tucker, though.

Tucker signed as a restricted free agent this offseason, which pays him $3.52 million in 2026 if he’s on the roster. That puts him as the second-highest paid running back on the roster, behind Kenny Gainwell and ahead of Bucky Irving. That money is only guaranteed if he is on the active roster at the start of the season.

Bucs RB Sean Tucker – Photo by: Cliff Welch P/R

Williams, who’s looked good in two preseason games, is far less expensive at the running back position and may be viewed as being not much less of a drop-off in talent. So, with the Bucs relying on Gainwell and Irving as their one-two punch, Tampa Bay might be able to get away with keeping Williams around over Tucker and saving several millions of dollars in the meantime.

Because of Jalon Daniels shining this preseason as well, there’s a high chance the Bucs keep three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. It would be difficult to justify keeping three quarterbacks and four running backs when there are other positions need that need a higher volume of players in it.

Tampa Bay will have two joint practices in Jacksonville against the Jaguars on Tuesday and Wednesday plus a preseason game on Friday night. Those three events may determine who gets the role as the third running back on this team.