Rachaad White Upset He Didn’t Hit 1,000 Yards Rushing

Bucs running back Rachaad White is as team-oriented as they come. White has been willing to do whatever is necessary – run the ball, catch the ball, become a clutch pass protector – to help Tampa Bay finish 9-8, win the NFC South and earn another trip to the playoffs.

But he is still very upset that he fell 10 yards short of his individual goal of rushing for 1,000 yards this season.

Ten yards short.

Ten friggin’ yards.

White needed to rush for 85 yards in the Bucs’ Week 18 season finale against the Panthers, but only managed to run for 75 yards. That left him with 990 yards rushing for the season.

“That’s how it is in life – sometimes you fall short,” White said. “How did it sit with me, was I upset? I mean yeah, I wouldn’t lie about not being upset. For sure, cracking 1,000 yards – that’s huge for a guy regardless of what it is. Everybody has their own goals that they’re trying to reach.

“Was I hurt that I didn’t get it? Yes, I was upset and hurt but it’s just greater that we got to the playoffs. I did everything I could to put myself in a position to crack it. [Ten] yards short gives you something to strive for another year, you know? To keep going.”

White rushed for 72 yards and had a three-yard catch in the team’s 32-9 win over the Eagles in the Wild Card playoff game, but wants to head into the postseason next year as the Bucs’ first 1,000-yard rusher since Doug Martin did it in 2015.

“For sure – that’s my goal, to crack it way before Week 17,” White said. “That’s a huge emphasis and goal of mine going into next year when that time comes to think about that.”

Rachaad White Excelled As An All-Purpose Weapon In Bucs Offense

While Rachaad White will have to wait until the 2024 season to attempt to become a 1,000-yard rusher, he did show the Bucs and the rest of the NFL that he is one of the league’s top all-around weapons on offense. White finished the season with 1,542 total yards, including 549 receiving yards on 64 receptions, while scoring a combined nine touchdowns (six rushing, three receiving).

That gave him the fourth-highest all-purpose yardage total in the NFL from the running back position this season.

1. 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey – 2,023 yards (1,459 rushing yards, 564 receiving yards)
2. Jets RB Breece Hall – 1,584 yards (994 rushing yards, 591 receiving yards)
3. Bills RB James Cook – 1,567 yards (1,122 rushing yards, 445 receiving yards)
4. Bucs RB Rachaad White – 1,542 yards (990 rushing yards, 549 receiving yards)

Bucs RB Rachaad White and RT Luke Goedeke – Photo by: USA Today

“I remember when Chase [Edmonds] first got here, we hit it off at the jump,” White said. “He had asked me what my goals were because I already had the goals written down in my head. Me and my trainer when I was training over the offseason. [Edmonds] had asked me, and I said that I told my trainer I would be at – he wrote it down in his notes – that I’d be at like 1,477 all-purpose yards. When Chase got here, I told him too – that I wanted to be at least 1,400 or so all-purpose [yardage] being the lead dog, the lead back.”

Although he fell just 10 yards short of hitting 1,000 yards rushing, White did surpass his all-purpose yardage goal by 65 yards.

“Having 1,500 scrimmage yards is for sure a blessing regardless of not reaching one of your goals, which is of course to be a 1,000-yard rusher – well over a 1,000-yard rusher in this league,” White said. “You can’t take anything for granted man, I play the most brutal position on the field, so you don’t want to take nothing for granted. I’m blessed to come out of a season healthy, blessed to walk into the Week 18 game healthy. At the end of the day, that’s kind of all you can ask for.”

Rachaad White Doesn’t Regret Pulling Up On Game-Winning Runs

Bucs RB Rachaad White – Photo by: USA Today

Bucs running back Rachaad White had 272 carries to get to 1,000 yards. There were times when he missed a hole on a run that could have gained more yardage, and certainly had some of his runs called back due to holding penalties. To be clear, White was not upset with his teammates nor offensive play-caller Dave Canales that he didn’t reach 1,000 yards rushing.

White even slowed up on game-winning runs in victories against Carolina at home and at Green Bay that could have gone for an extra 10 yards.

“At the end of the day, there isn’t no regret,” White said. “A lot of people are like, ‘Why didn’t you steal a couple [more yards]?’ A couple of runs I could have stolen 10 more yards and still went down. But when you look at it, there isn’t no regret. You did what you did in the moment. You live with no regret, and you just keep pushing forward.”

Rachaad White Is Excited To See Where Run Game Can Go In 2024

Bucs running back Rachaad White is looking forward to building on his successful first year as a full-time starting back in Tampa Bay. The fact that he will be operating in Dave Canales’ offense again in 2024 and have an even better grasp of the plays and the scheme should aid White on his quest to rush for more than 1,000 yards.

Bucs RB Rachaad White – Photo by: USA Today

“To me, the running game can go to where we were a few weeks ago,” White said when Tampa Bay was eclipsing 100 yards per game on a regular basis. “We had a few weeks that slipped late in the season. It is what it is, you play some good fronts, you play some good defenses that people don’t give enough credit for. They think just because a team [like Carolina] got two wins that it means they are horrible in the league. People don’t understand that no team is really horrible.

“They have really solid and stout defenses and guys, some guys got snubbed out of All-Pros and Pro Bowls if we’re being honest. The biggest thing is just sticking with it, man. Of course, bringing the same people back – everybody back – means a lot. The camaraderie, the chemistry of the game, and stuff like that. Coach Canales calling the plays for the future – just sticking with the same guy, it makes a lot of sense.”

White averaged 6.1 yards per carry against Detroit’s second-ranked run defense in Sunday’s 31-23 loss to the Lions. He ran for 55 yards on nine carries and caught three passes for 36 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown that tied the game at 17-17 heading into the fourth quarter.

On Monday, White earned a lot of praise from head coach Todd Bowles in his season-ending press conference.

“It was great to see him grow from a mental standpoint,” Bowles said. “He was always talented, physically. Being a running back is not just carrying the football and running and trying to find daylight. He’s got to know where the hole is before the hole opens. He’s got to know where the blocking is, he’s got to know how to pick up pressures. He runs pass routes, he does a lot of things. From a growth standpoint and a mental standpoint where he was frustrated early in the first few weeks, he kind of eased into it and figured it out.

“Skip [Peete] did a heck of a job coaching him and Rachaad is going to be a heck of a football player. He already is, but mentally, just knowing where the holes are and playing faster and playing smarter. He got a lot better at protecting the football where he let a few go early in the season. You can’t say enough about his growth. You could see it as the weeks went on, as the months went on. I’m very proud of where he is.”