On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced the re-signing of fourth-year running back Sean Tucker, who has surpassed 300 rushing yards in a reserve role in each of the past two seasons. Tucker received a qualifying offer from the Buccaneers prior to the start of free agency in March, making him a restricted free agent.
Tucker signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent out of Syracuse in 2023. He made the active roster as a rookie but played sparingly that season, with 15 carries for 23 yards and two receptions for nine yards. However, he filled a larger role during the 2024-25 seasons, taking 136 handoffs for 628 yards and nine touchdowns, while also catching 17 passes for 143 yards and two more scores. Tucker led the Buccaneers with eight total touchdowns in 2025.
As a restricted free agent, Tucker had the opportunity to negotiate a contract with another team, though the Buccaneers retained a right to match any offer he receiver or potentially receive draft pick compensation. The period for restricted free agents to receiver contract offers from other teams expired last Friday.
Tucker's tenure with the Buccaneers has included several games in which he saw increased playing time due to injuries in the backfield and capitalized with productive outings. In 2024, he was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week Six after amassing 192 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in a 51-27 road win over the Saints. That included 14 carries for 136 yards and a touchdown and three receptions for 56 yards and another trip to the end zone.
In Week 11 of last season, in Buffalo, Tucker turned a career-high 19 carries into 106 yards and two touchdowns while adding two catches for 34 yards and another score.
In all, Tucker has has appeared in 45 games for the Buccaneers, rushing 151 times for 651 yards (4.3 avg.) and nine touchdowns. He has also secured 19 receptions for 152 yards and two scores and has returned 41 kickoffs for 1,007 yards (24.6 avg.).
