The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted running back Rachaad White out of Arizona State in the third round in 2022, and he would go on 67 of the team's 68 games over the next four seasons, in the process producing 4,106 yards from scrimmage. Only five running backs in team history put up more yards from scrimmage across their first 67 games in the league than that and all fivewere selected with the 35th-overall pick or higher. White was the 91st selection in his draft.
By that measure, it seems accurate that the Buccaneers got good value out of that particular draftpick. The question is whether or not White will be adding more yards to his career total as a Buccaneer. He is due to become an unrestricted free agent in two weeks and could choose to sign with another NFL team instead.
As a rookie, White supplanted playoff hero Leonard Fournette as the primary starter in the Bucs' backfield and then held onto that job for all of 2023 and most of 2024. However, history repeated itself when 2024 draft pick Bucky Irving took over the lead back role in the latter half of the season and then opened 2025 as the unquestioned starter. White still started eight games last season but mostly while Irving was on the shelf due to foot and shoulder injuries. As such, White could be seeking a new opportunity in 2026.
White was the fourth running back off the board during the '22 draft, and three of those four could hit free agency at the same time. Buffalo's James Cook, taken 63rd overall by the Buffalo Bills, has already inked an extension but White, the New York Jets' Breece Hall (36th overall) and the Seattle Seahawks' Kenneth Walker (41st) are all on expiring contracts.
For the Buccaneers, White is one of 17 players from their final roster (including reserve lists) in 2025 who could become unrestricted free agents (UFAs) on March 11. In the weeks between the Super Bowl and that kickoff to the new league year, we are taking a closer look at nine of those 17 players, examining where they are in their careers, what they have accomplished recently and what the free agency and the draft fields look like at their positions.
This is the full schedule of our 2026 Free Agent Focus rundown:
February 11: LB Lavonte David
February 13: WR Mike Evans
February 18: DL Logan Hall
February 20: TE Ko Kieft
February 25: RB Rachaad White
February 27: CB Jamel Dean
March 4: WR Sterling Shepard
March 5: TE Cade Otton
March 6: OLB Haason Reddick
This list is subject to change based on potential roster moves in the coming weeks. However, we continue this week with a player who had a sizeable role in the Bucs' offense over the past four seasons.
Player: Rachaad White
Position: Running Back
Age at the Start of the 2026 Season: 27
Experience: Entering fifth NFL season
How Acquired: Drafted in the third round (91st overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Arizona State.
Previous Contract(s): In 2022, White signed the standard four-year contract that all players drafted in Rounds 2-7 receive, a pact he completed in 2025.
Rank in Pro Football Focus Top 250 NFL Free Agents for 2026: 43rd. PFF excerpt: "White put together the best season of his career heading into free agency, ranking fourth among running backs in PFF rushing grade (87.2). After fumbling multiple times in each of his first three seasons, he cleaned up the ball-security issues entirely in 2025, going without a fumble and recording zero drops on 42 targets. While he doesn't offer much as a true receiving threat, White graded in the 98th percentile on gap runs and the 94th percentile on zone runs, putting strong tape on file in a contract year."
2025 Performance: White appeared in all 17 games in 2025, starting eight as noted above. He finished with 132 carries for 572 yards (4.3 avg.) and four touchdowns while also catching 40passes for 218 yards (5.5 avg.). His receiving numbers were all the lowest of any season in his career but his per-carry rushing average was his best in any campaign so far.
In a six-game span from Weeks Five to 11, a period during which Irving was unavailable, White averaged 12.3 carries per game. In his other 11 appearances he was given an average of 5.3 handoffs per game. In a 20-19 road win over the Houston Texans in Week Two, White gained 65yards and scored a touchdown on just 10 carries. He matched that season high in yardage in a Week Six win over San Francisco and scored two of his four touchdowns in a Week Five win at Seattle over the eventual Super Bowl champs. White was also considered a strong blocker in pass protection.
Career Accomplishments: White's four-year totals in Tampa included 677 carries for 2,656 yards (3.9 avg.) and 14 touchdowns. He also caught 205 passes for 1,450 yards and 11 more touchdowns. White joins Alstott as the only two players in franchise history to hit double digits in both rushing touchdowns and receiving touchdowns.
White currently ranks 10th in Bucs history in rushing yards and fifth in receptions among running backs. He also appeared in four postseason games with three starts for Tampa Bay, producing 169 yards on the ground plus 111 receptions for 89 yards and a score.
White's best season came in 2023, when he started all 17 games and produced career highs in carries (272), rushing yards (990), receptions (64), receiving yards (549) and total touchdowns (nine). His 1,539 yards from scrimmage ranked fourth among all NFL running backs behind only Christian McCaffrey, Breece Hall and Cook. White topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage again in 2024, with 1,006, while scoring another nine total touchdowns.
Other Potential Free Agent Running Backs: Kenneth Walker (Seahawks), Breece Hall (Jets), Rico Dowdle (Panthers) Tyler Allgeier (Falcons), Travis Etienne (Jaguars), Najee Harris (Chargers), Kenneth Gainwell (Steelers), J.K. Dobbins (Broncos), Isiah Pacheco (Chiefs), Nick Chubb (Texans), Brian Robinson (49ers), Kareem Hunt (Chiefs)
Top Running Back Prospects in 2026 NFL Draft: Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame), Emmett Johnson (Nebraska), Jadarian Price (Notre Dame), Mike Washington (Arkansas), Jonah Coleman (Washington), Demond Claiborne (Wake Forest), Kaytron Allen (Purdue), Nicholas Singleton (Penn State), Seth McGowan (Kentucky), Le'Veon Moss (Texas A&M), Jaydn Ott (Oklahoma), J'Mari Taylor (Virginia), Desmond Reid (Pittsburgh)
