Fourth-year running back Rachaad White enters the 2025 NFL season with everything on the line. In the final year of his rookie contract, White is looking to reassert his value and earn a significant payday in the upcoming offseason.
White broke out in 2023, carrying the ball 299 times for 990 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He also contributed 549 receiving yards and three touchdowns through the air, proving himself as a versatile, all-purpose back and a key piece of the Buccaneers’ playoff run.
White’s Reality in 2025: A Defining Year Ahead
However, 2024 brought a dramatic shift. Despite his strong production the year prior, White saw his workload nearly cut in half. Rookie running back Bucky Irving made an early impact, including a standout Week 3 performance where he averaged 7.8 yards per carry en route to a 70-yard game.
As the season progressed, Irving earned more snaps under then-offensive coordinator Liam Coen, pushing White into a reduced role.
Now in 2025, White is set to share the backfield once again—this time under a new offensive coordinator. Josh Gizzard, who served as the team’s pass game coordinator in 2024, has been promoted to lead the offense.
The change could present a fresh opportunity for White to reestablish himself as a lead back, though he’ll need to make a strong impression in what may be a make-or-break season.
When asked about the year ahead, and the importance of playing well for a new contract, White anwered:
“I think my biggest thing is to attack every day. Show them who I am. At the end of the day, you can only control what you can control. You have to go out there and prove it every day. I look at that in all walks of life, so I’m just going out with my mindset, just attack every day, show them who I am, and let the chips fall where they may.”
White may be hoping to see more carries again in 2025, but to do so he will have to tidy up the fumbles. He saw his carries slashed twice in the 2024 season after fumbling the ball, especially after doing so in back-to-back weeks in Week 15 and 16 against the LA Chargers and Dallas Cowboys.
White’s Market Value for a Potential New Deal
White has delivered one highly productive season across his three years in the NFL. Since being selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, he has totaled 2,081 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns, along with 1,232 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns through the air for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He profiles as a dual-threat back—capable of contributing both on the ground and as a pass catcher. However, his rushing production has lacked explosiveness, averaging just 3.8 yards per carry over his career. His greater impact has come in the passing game, a strength he also demonstrated during his final season at Arizona State in 2021.
Heading into 2025, the mission is clear: White needs to prove he can consistently produce between the tackles, protect the football, and become a more reliable scoring threat. If he can do that, he’ll position himself well for free agency in 2026—whether that future is in Tampa or with another team.