The Tampa Bay Buccaneers continued a flurry of roster moves at running back headed into the regular season finale — something it’s probably smart to get used to over the next year.
Just one day following his release, the Buccaneers brought rookie running back Josh Williams back by signing him to their practice squad, according to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson.
Williams made the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent out of LSU but was suspended for 6 games for violating the NFL’s drug policy on November 11, which cost him approximately $280,000 in salary. He wasn’t eligible to return to the team
“Bucs RB Josh Williams has been suspended six games without pay for violating the NFL’s Performance-Enhancing Substances Policy, the league announced,” Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud wrote on his official X account.
“Bucs rookie running back Josh Williams has been suspended for six games without pay for violating the NFL’s Performance-Enhancing Substances Policy,” Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman wrote on his official X account. “He has played in three games this season, with four carries for 11 yards.”
The Buccaneers are 7-9 overall headed into the Week 18 regular season finale against the Carolina Panthers. Tampa Bay can clinch the NFC South Division title with a win over the Panthers and a win by the New Orleans Saints over the Atlanta Falcons.
Corresponding Move to Makes Room for Williams
The Buccaneers released running back Michael Wiley on Tuesday, December 30, after they signed him to the practice squad on October 14 to make room for Williams.
“Buccaneers release Michael Wiley,” NFL reporter Aaron Wilson wrote on his X account.
Wiley, 5-foot-10 and 209 pounds, scored 28 career touchdowns at the University of Arizona that was split pretty evenly between rushing (16) and receiving (12) along with racking up 2,862 yards of total offense.
Wiley ran the 40 yard dash in a less-than-ideal 4.51 seconds at the NFL scouting combine and went undrafted in 2024. He spent his rookie season on the practice squad for the Washington Commanders and was one of the final cuts for the Kansas City Chiefs this preseason
Bucs Rushing Game Took Major Dip in 2025
Headed into 2025, it seemed like the Buccaneers had finally fixed the rushing game woes that dogged them for so long — they finished dead last in the NFL in rushing in 2022 and 2023 before bouncing back to finish fourth in 2024.
The key to the turnaround was rookie running back Bucky Irving, who rushed for over 1,200 yards as a rookie but didn’t take over the starting job from Rachaad White until late in the year.
Irving fell off a cliff in his sophomore season, missing 7 games with a shoulder injury. It was an absence that may have been extended due to mental health issues as Irving struggled with missing games for the first time in his football career.
Through 9 games, Irving has just 504 rushing yards and 4 total touchdowns. White wasn’t much better in his absence — he has just 549 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns in 16 games.
After 4 seasons, White almost certainly will leave this offseason to test the free agent market after playing out his 4-year, $5.22 million rookie deal — Spotrac has his market value projected at a 2-year, $14.9 million contract.
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