This isn’t the kind of news the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were expecting to deal with headed into the most important 2-game stretch of the season.
The NFL announced it was suspending Buccaneers rookie running Josh Williams for using PEDS on Tuesday, November 11, which wouldn’t make him eligible to return until a Week 17 road game against the Miami Dolphins.
“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 coming off a 28-23 home loss to the New England Patriots in Week 10 and face consecutive road games against a pair of Super Bowl contenders when they travel to face the Buffalo Bills in Week 11 and the Los Angeles Rams in Week 12.
“Buccaneers’ RB Josh Williams is suspended six games without pay for violating the NFL’s Performance-Enhancing Substances Policy,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account. “Williams will be eligible for reinstatement on Tuesday, December 22, following the Buccaneers’ Week 16 game against the Carolina Panthers.”
Williams Went Undrafted Out of SEC Powerhouse
Williams, 5-foot-9 and 210 pounds, wasn’t selected in the 2025 NFL draft out of LSU and made the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent.
It wasn’t much different than college, when Williams went from a walk-on at LSU to having 2,094 career yards of total offense and 18 touchdowns for the Tigers.
“Originally a walk-on at LSU, Williams spent five years with the program,” LSU Wire’s Alexis Yoder wrote after Williams made Tampa Bay’s 53-man roster in August. “His most productive season came in 2022 when he took 97 carries for 532 yards and six touchdowns. Last year, he took 117 carries for 482 yards and six touchdowns.”
Buccaneers Have Big Issue in Backfield
After 3 consecutive years of having the NFL’s worst rushing attack, the Buccaneers bounced back with a vengeance in 2024 behind rookie Bucky Irving, a fourth round pick (No. 125 overall) out of the University of Oregon.
Irving not only supplanted longtime starter Rachaad White as the Buccaneers’ main running back, he showed the potential to be one of the NFL’s very best at his position with 1,514 yards from scrimmage and 8 total touchdowns — that included 1,122 rushing yards.
Unfortunately for the Buccaneers, Irving has missed the last 5 games with a shoulder injury and there hasn’t been any news on when he might possibly return.
Without irving’s dynamic running and pass catching ability, Tampa Bay has sorely missed a key dimension to the offense.
“With Bucky Irving injured, Josh WIlliams has been the Bucs’ No. 3 running back, active on game days but playing primarily on special teams only,” Auman wrote on X on November 11. “That role will likely now go to one of the backs on Tampa Bay’s practice squad, Owen Wright or Michael Wiley.”
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