Despite never taking a snap on the same team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back duo is already getting league-wide praise. The tandem of Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell ranked 10th on the best duo list provided by Moe Moton of Bleacher Report.
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers tandem cracks the top 10 because of Bucky Irving’s 1,100-plus-yard rushing season in 2024 and Kenneth Gainwell’s 2025 standout pass-catching year in which he led the Pittsburgh Steelers with 73 receptions,” wrote Moton.
As Moton notes, Irving was much better in 2024 than he was in 2025. The combination of Irving getting back to his 2024 ways and Gainwell fitting into the backfield gives confidence that this group could end up being ranked even higher.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Have a Top 10 Running back Tandem
GettyBucky Irving #7 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Irving burst onto the scene with 1,122 yards on the ground during his rookie season. However, he also provided an impressive 47 catches for 392 yards as well, showing versatility. He was not nearly as good in 2025, but a few things could have impacted that.
The offensive line was banged up, and the playcalling was not as strong. When you add in that Irving was injured himself, it was a recipe for disaster.
Now, the line is healthy, and they changed the playcaller. The addition of Gainwell should help keep Irving healthy and efficient as well.
Gainwell would likely be the 1B in the two-headed situation. His career-high in rushing yards is just 537 yards. That would be considered a bad year for Irving. However, Gainwell also added 73 catches for 486 yards in the passing game last year.
To have that sort of impact and mix things up on offense is impressive. Between the two, they can both run between the tackles and catch. However, both are at their best with smaller workloads. They can bring out the best in each other.
Buccaneers Duo Looks to Earn More League-Wide Respect
Currently, the best duo in the NFL is Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. Corum emerged last year and already exceeded Gainwell’s career-high on the ground. Meanwhile, Williams has more of a track record than Irving. The same can be said of the Chicago Bears duo of D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, who came in at number two.
The New Orleans Saints came in at number three, despite having a fresh face in their backfield. However, between Travis Etienne and Alvin Kamara, they have two options with strong track records.
The Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, and Philadelphia Eagles ranked fourth through sixth. These teams are led by Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Saquon Barkley. They just need their backups not to be complete liabilities to have a great duo.
However, the three other teams ahead of the Bucs are legitimate splits. The Pittsburgh Steelers will split time between Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle. The New England Patriots have a near 50/50 split with TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson. Then, the Houston Texans added David Montgomery to split work with Woody Marks. A strong season could easily push the Bucs closer to number six by next year.
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