Heading into Sunday, the RB3 battle was contested by Josh Williams and Sean Tucker. Tucker won the job, signing a one-year extension with the franchise.
Ahead of Sunday's final cuts, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made some significant decisions, vaulting Jalon Daniels to the backup quarterback position and siding with Sean Tucker for the third running back role.
Heading into Sunday, Tucker and rookie tailback Josh Williams had been engaged in a tight battle for the final RB position on the main roster.
“That’s a tough battle. It kind of went back and forth every game,” Bowles said on Saturday. “Both of them can run the ball. Both of them return kicks, obviously. Both of them try to tackle on kickoff and punt team. … That’ll be a tough call because they’re both good football players.”
But, Tucker was rewarded with a one-year, $2.5 million guaranteed contract on Sunday morning, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
Last season, the standout Syracuse product rushed for 320 yards, finding the end zone seven times.
During starting tailback Bucky Irving's absence, Tucker made the most of his increased opportunity, finding the endzone in three consecutive games down the stretch of the season.
Tucker is a hard-nosed runner, who likes to get downhill and use his power to shed off tacklers.
Over the past two years, Tucker has posted some big performances when given the majority of the carries, including a three-touchdown showing against the Buffalo Bills.
Tucker rushed for 106 yards on 19 carries, adding two receptions for 34 yards and a score.
In the second quarter, Tucker got loose for a 43-yard touchdown, giving the Bucs a 17-14 lead.
His three touchdowns helped keep Tampa in it, but the defense surrendered 44 points to Josh Allen and the Bills' offense.
Tucker had a similarly-explosive showing two seasons ago against the New Orleans Saints, rushing for a career-best 136 yards and receiving a career-high 56 yards.
The 5-foot-10 back scored twice, once with his legs and once through the air, leading the Bucs to a dominant 51-27 win.
Trailing 20-17 at the time, Tucker took a short pass out of the backfield for a 36-yard score, giving Tampa the lead.
Bringing back Tucker gives Tampa a trusty third option, who can also serve as the goalline rusher.
With Irving and Kenneth Gainwell taking on most of the pass-catching opportunities out of the backfield, Tucker may be expected to help keep them fresh.
Expect him to be used in short-yardage, and fill in as an extra blocker in the backfield if offensive coordinator Zac Robinson goes with his pony package look.
