After previous reports that the Bucs would not be exercising the $3.52 million tender for restricted free agent running back Sean Tucker, the team has ultimately reversed course and will be doing so after all. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times was first with the update just before the 2026 league year began at 4:00 p.m.

Tucker was set to become an unrestricted free agent when the team opted not to place a restricted free agent tender on him. But now that the Bucs have opted to do so, that tender provides Tucker with a one-year, non-guaranteed $3,52 million contract while still allowing him to try and negotiate a multi-year deal with another team before the April 17 deadline. If he secures such an offer, the Bucs will have the right to match it or let him go elsewhere.

Could Sean Tucker Have A Bigger Role With The Bucs In 2026?

Sean Tucker was considered by many to be a late day-two, early day-three talent coming out of Syracuse in 2023. But a medical flag surrounding his heart caused him to go undrafted, and the Bucs signed him as a priority free agent that year. His rookie season was disappointing, as he carried the ball just 15 times for 23 yards and one first down.

Bucs RB Sean Tucker – Photo by: USA Today

But in 2024, Tucker started to show flashes of the talent that helped him rush for over 3,000 yards and 27 touchdowns in college. With starting running back Rachaad White out in Week 6 at New Orleans, the Bucs had Tucker split carries with then-rookie Bucky Irving.

He delivered in a big way, running for 136 yards on 14 carries and adding three catches for 56 yards and two total touchdowns. The performance helped him earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors and had many Bucs fans clamoring for him to get an expanded role in the offense.

All-22 on Sean Tucker’s 6 carries that went for 10+ Yards and this 3 catches against the New Orleans Saints In Week 6.

Tucker hit 15+ MPH six times in this game. He had 45 yards after contact while averaging 3.2 yards after contact per attempt on Sunday.

He saw a 45.9%… pic.twitter.com/NCkS8PNDu3

— Bruce Matson (@MetricScout) October 14, 2024

Despite the outstanding showing against New Orleans, Tucker remained buried on Tampa Bay’s depth chart due to the breakout of Irving and White’s abilities on third down as both a pass protector and as a receiving option. Tucker finished the season with 50 carries for 308 yards and two touchdowns, with almost half of his production coming in that one game.

This past year, Tucker worked on his own abilities as a pass protector, showing real growth in that area. While Irving had moved up to the Bucs’ top back in 2025, he also missed several games due to injury, which helped carve out a larger role for Tucker. He set career highs in carries (86), yards (320) and rushing touchdowns (7) while still flashing the explosivity that drove his performance against the Saints in 2024.

Bucs RB Sean Tucker – Photo by: USA Today

Tucker is bigger than Irving and slightly bigger than the newly signed Kenneth Gainwell, so while Gainwell might cut into any type of RB2/complementary role Tucker could have with Rachaad White’s exit, there’s still a chance for the former Syracuse star to earn a healthy share of goal line carries like he did in 2025.

If Tucker ends up sticking in Tampa Bay on that one-year tender, it would ensure that the Bucs continue to have an impressive stable of running backs. Irving is only a year removed from a breakout 1,000-yard season as a rookie, Gainwell is a traditional third-down back who put up over 1,000 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns last year in Pittsburgh and Tucker has displayed some home run ability over the last couple of years in the limited role he’s been given.

As it stands right now, the potential RB4 on the roster would be Josh Williams, a 2025 undrafted free agent out of LSU who the team has publicly said they are high on. There is a lot of flexibility and creativity that can be applied to this position to support Irving, who had a down year while dealing with injury last season.

–Pewter Report’s Bailey Adams contributed to this story.