BuccaneersFan.com • Player Spotlight • No. 1
Photo: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Running back • Active
Another way to move the chains
Kenneth “Kenny” Gainwell
- Born
- March 14, 1999
- Hometown
- Yazoo City, Mississippi
Yazoo County High School - Listed size
- 5 feet 9 inches • 200 pounds
- College
- Memphis • Played in 2018 and 2019;
opted out of the 2020 season - NFL Draft
- 2021 • Round 5 • Pick 150
Philadelphia Eagles - NFL career
- Philadelphia, 2021–2024
Pittsburgh, 2025
Tampa Bay, 2026–present - Joined Tampa
- March 12, 2026 • Two-year contract
Profile and highlights: Buccaneers biography, Tampa Bay signing announcement, Steelers Team MVP announcement, career statistics and Week 8 game notes. Career totals include games through November 1, 2026.
A versatile back joins the Krewe
Kenny Gainwell arrived in Tampa Bay with a championship ring, a team MVP award and experience finding yards as both a runner and a receiver. His first Buccaneers season has added another memorable chapter: a 140-yard afternoon in a record-setting ground attack.
A former high school quarterback from Mississippi, Gainwell became a productive running back at Memphis before Philadelphia selected him in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Four Eagles seasons and a year in Pittsburgh preceded his move to Tampa Bay in March 2026. Eagles draft background • Buccaneers signing report.
His value comes from having several ways to help an offense. Tampa Bay’s preseason scouting feature highlighted his route running, work in the screen game and pass protection alongside his ability to change direction with the ball. Those skills give the coaching staff options on passing downs as well as early downs. Buccaneers player analysis.
The Buccaneers chapter
2026–present: a new opportunity in Tampa
The Buccaneers signed Gainwell to a two-year contract on March 12, 2026. His arrival brought a backfield option with experience in Philadelphia’s championship program and a substantial receiving role in Pittsburgh. He joined a Tampa Bay running back group that also included Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker. Signing announcement • Backfield outlook.
The game log shows how his first season has developed. After 88 rushing yards at Carolina in Week 7, Gainwell carried 25 times for 140 yards against Atlanta. His first eight Tampa Bay appearances have produced 350 yards from scrimmage, combining his rushing and receiving yardage.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Rush att. | Rush yds. | Rec. | Rec. yds. | Total TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep. 13 | @ Bengals | L 27–33 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2 | Sep. 20 | Browns | L 19–23 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| 3 | Sep. 27 | Vikings | L 16–23 | 3 | -4 | 2 | 14 | 0 |
| 4 | Oct. 4 | Packers | L 14–17 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 22 | 1 |
| 5 | Oct. 8 | @ Cowboys | W 24–16 | 4 | 18 | 3 | 10 | 0 |
| 6 | Oct. 18 | Steelers | L 19–26 | 2 | 17 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| 7 | Oct. 25 | @ Panthers | W 43–13 | 14 | 88 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Nov. 1 | Falcons | W 16–0 | 25 | 140 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Through Week 8 | 8 games | TB | 3–5 | 58 | 289 | 12 | 61 | 1 |
All games shown are from 2026. Scores list Tampa Bay first; @ indicates an away game. Total TD combines rushing and receiving touchdowns. Scrimmage yards do not include kickoff returns.
Source: official 2026 regular-season game log. Gainwell also has 13 kickoff returns for 341 yards (26.2 average, long of 40) through Week 8; see Buccaneers team statistics.
November 1, 2026 • Raymond James Stadium
A record-setting Sunday on the ground
Week 8 • Final
16 – 0
TAMPA BAY / ATLANTA
324 team rushing yards
A new Buccaneers single-game record.
GAINWELL: 140 RUSHING YARDS
25 carries • 5.6 yards per carry
Long run: 28 yards
Gainwell set a career high in rushing yards as Tampa Bay shut out Atlanta. Bucky Irving added 170 yards, giving the Buccaneers two 100-yard rushers in the same game for the first time since Mike Alstott and Warrick Dunn did it against Minnesota on November 1, 1998.
In a rain-soaked game, Gainwell’s 28-yard run helped set up the afternoon’s only touchdown. His later six-yard gain pushed Tampa Bay past its previous team rushing record. The final total was 324 yards, with Gainwell responsible for 140 of them.
Sources: official game notes, Irving and Gainwell rushing feature and game recap.
Mississippi roots • Memphis breakthrough • NFL opportunity
The road that brought Kenny to the Bay
From Yazoo County quarterback to Memphis standout
Gainwell played quarterback at Yazoo County High School before moving into the Memphis backfield. After appearing in four games during a redshirt season in 2018, he made his breakthrough in 2019: 1,459 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns, plus 51 receptions for 610 yards and three more scores.
That combination amounted to 2,069 yards from scrimmage and 16 touchdowns. He earned American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year honors, unanimous first-team All-AAC recognition and the FWAA/Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award.
Gainwell opted out of the 2020 season. His two seasons of college game action produced 1,550 rushing yards, 662 receiving yards and 17 total touchdowns, establishing the running-and-receiving foundation he would take to the NFL.
Sources: Memphis player biography, freshman award announcement and Eagles draft-signing report.
Philadelphia: a fifth-round pick earns a ring
The Eagles selected Gainwell 150th overall in 2021. He spent four seasons in Philadelphia, contributing on offense and special teams while gaining experience in two Super Bowl runs.
His biggest rushing performance of the 2022 postseason came against the Giants on January 21, 2023: 112 yards and a touchdown in a 38–7 divisional-round victory. He finished that three-game playoff run with 181 rushing yards. In Super Bowl LVII itself, he had seven carries for 21 yards and four catches for 20 yards.
Two seasons later, Gainwell was part of the Eagles team that won Super Bowl LIX. He appeared in all four games of Philadelphia’s 2024 postseason, including the championship victory over Kansas City on February 9, 2025.
Sources: Eagles draft report, official postseason logs for 2022 and 2024, and Buccaneers career summary.
Pittsburgh, 2025: a bigger role and his teammates’ vote
In his lone Steelers season, Gainwell rushed for 537 yards and five touchdowns and caught 73 passes for 486 yards and three scores. His 1,023 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns marked his most productive NFL regular season to that point. Pittsburgh’s players voted him their 2025 Team MVP—a club award that recognized the impact he made in his first year there.
The statistics are the final 17-game totals, while the MVP announcement was published before the regular-season finale. 2025 game log • Steelers Team MVP announcement.
Through November 1, 2026 • Career still active
A career in numbers
Across 91 NFL regular-season games, Gainwell has accumulated 2,011 rushing yards, 1,268 receiving yards and 22 combined touchdowns. His ten playoff appearances add 418 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. The regular season and postseason are counted separately below.
| Scope | G | Rush att. | Rush yds. | Rush TD | Rec. | Rec. yds. | Rec. TD | Scrimmage yds. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NFL regular season | 91 | 452 | 2,011 | 17 | 187 | 1,268 | 5 | 3,279 |
| NFL postseason | 10 | 57 | 252 | 1 | 21 | 166 | 1 | 418 |
| Tampa Bay regular season | 8 | 58 | 289 | 0 | 12 | 61 | 1 | 350 |
G = games played. Scrimmage yards = rushing yards + receiving yards. Tampa Bay’s row is included within the NFL regular-season total; it is not an additional career total. There are no Tampa Bay postseason appearances as of this update.
Sources: official career tables and the regular-season and postseason game logs linked with the detailed tables.
Honors along the way
- 2019 AAC Rookie of the Year and unanimous first-team All-AAC at Memphis.
- 2019 FWAA/Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year.
- Super Bowl LIX champion with Philadelphia, 2024 season.
- 2025 Steelers Team MVP, selected by his teammates.
Production to remember
- 2,069 scrimmage yards during his 2019 Memphis season.
- 112 rushing yards against the Giants in the 2022 divisional playoffs.
- 73 receptions for Pittsburgh in 2025.
- 140 rushing yards for Tampa Bay against Atlanta on November 1, 2026.
Honors: Memphis biography, FWAA award report, Buccaneers signing report and Steelers announcement. Statistical milestones are documented in the linked game logs.
Regular-season rushing • 2021–2026
| Season | Team | G | GS | Att. | Yards | Avg. | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | PHI | 16 | 1 | 68 | 291 | 4.3 | 18 | 5 |
| 2022 | PHI | 17 | 0 | 53 | 240 | 4.5 | 13 | 4 |
| 2023 | PHI | 16 | 2 | 84 | 364 | 4.3 | 32 | 2 |
| 2024 | PHI | 17 | 1 | 75 | 290 | 3.9 | 20 | 1 |
| 2025 | PIT | 17 | 2 | 114 | 537 | 4.7 | 55 | 5 |
| 2026* | TB | 8 | 1 | 58 | 289 | 5.0 | 29 | 0 |
| Career | All teams | 91 | 7 | 452 | 2,011 | 4.4 | 55 | 17 |
* 2026 is incomplete and includes games through November 1. G = games played; GS = games started; Avg. = yards per carry. PHI = Philadelphia Eagles; PIT = Pittsburgh Steelers; TB = Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Sources: official regular-season logs for 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026; starts and longest gains from the player profile and career tables.
Regular-season receiving & scrimmage yards • 2021–2026
| Season | Team | G | Rec. | Rec. yds. | Avg. | Long | Rec. TD | Scrimmage yds. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | PHI | 16 | 33 | 253 | 7.7 | 19 | 1 | 544 |
| 2022 | PHI | 17 | 23 | 169 | 7.4 | 20 | 0 | 409 |
| 2023 | PHI | 16 | 30 | 183 | 6.1 | 19 | 0 | 547 |
| 2024 | PHI | 17 | 16 | 116 | 7.2 | 16 | 0 | 406 |
| 2025 | PIT | 17 | 73 | 486 | 6.7 | 45 | 3 | 1,023 |
| 2026* | TB | 8 | 12 | 61 | 5.1 | 15 | 1 | 350 |
| Career | All teams | 91 | 187 | 1,268 | 6.8 | 45 | 5 | 3,279 |
* 2026 through November 1. Avg. = receiving yards per reception. Scrimmage yardage combines rushing and receiving, excluding returns. Career receiving average is 6.8 yards (1,268 ÷ 187, rounded to one decimal).
Sources: official receiving totals and the individual season logs linked in the Season column.
Postseason production • Five playoff seasons
| Season | Team | G | Rush att. | Rush yds. | Rush TD | Rec. | Rec. yds. | Rec. TD | Scrimmage yds. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | PHI | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 49 | 1 | 55 |
| 2022 | PHI | 3 | 33 | 181 | 1 | 7 | 55 | 0 | 236 |
| 2023 | PHI | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
| 2024 | PHI | 4 | 13 | 42 | 0 | 3 | 26 | 0 | 68 |
| 2025 | PIT | 1 | 6 | 20 | 0 | 4 | 26 | 0 | 46 |
| Postseason | All teams | 10 | 57 | 252 | 1 | 21 | 166 | 1 | 418 |
Season labels refer to the NFL season, even when playoff games were played in January or February of the following calendar year. The 2024 row includes Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LIX championship. These figures are excluded from every regular-season total.
Sources: official postseason logs for 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.
Every playoff appearance • All 10 games
| Game date | Team | Round | Opponent | Result | Rush att. | Rush yds. | Rush TD | Rec. | Rec. yds. | Rec. TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-01-16 | PHI | Wild Card | @ Buccaneers | L 15–31 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 49 | 1 |
| 2023-01-21 | PHI | Divisional | Giants | W 38–7 | 12 | 112 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| 2023-01-29 | PHI | NFC Championship | 49ers | W 31–7 | 14 | 48 | 0 | 2 | 26 | 0 |
| 2023-02-12 | PHI | Super Bowl LVII | Chiefs | L 35–38 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 0 |
| 2024-01-15 | PHI | Wild Card | @ Buccaneers | L 9–32 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 0 |
| 2025-01-12 | PHI | Wild Card | Packers | W 22–10 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025-01-19 | PHI | Divisional | Rams | W 28–22 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| 2025-01-26 | PHI | NFC Championship | Commanders | W 55–23 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 0 |
| 2025-02-09 | PHI | Super Bowl LIX | Chiefs | W 40–22 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2026-01-12 | PIT | Wild Card | Texans | L 6–30 | 6 | 20 | 0 | 4 | 26 | 0 |
| Totals | All teams | 10 games | — | 6–4 | 57 | 252 | 1 | 21 | 166 | 1 |
Scores show Gainwell’s team first. @ marks an away game; both Super Bowls were played at neutral sites. The 6–4 result total is his teams’ record in these appearances. The 181 rushing yards from the 2022 postseason are the full three-game total, not his Super Bowl LVII total.
Source: each game date links to the corresponding official postseason log. Game dates are calendar dates; the season-based grouping appears in the table above.
The moments along the way
Career milestones
A breakthrough at Memphis. Gainwell combined a 1,459-yard rushing season with 610 receiving yards and earned conference and national freshman honors. Award announcement.
Philadelphia makes the call. The Eagles selected him in the fifth round with the 150th overall pick. Draft class report.
A Super Bowl champion. Gainwell played in Philadelphia’s 40–22 victory over Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX. Championship postseason log.
Recognized by his teammates. Pittsburgh announced Gainwell as its 2025 Team MVP. Steelers announcement.
The Tampa Bay chapter begins. Gainwell signed a two-year contract with the Buccaneers. Signing announcement.
A career day in pewter and red. His 140 rushing yards helped Tampa Bay establish a franchise record with 324 yards on the ground against Atlanta. Game notes.
Sources & statistical notes
Published November 2, 2026. NFL regular-season figures include games completed through November 1, 2026; the 2026 season is unfinished. Postseason figures cover all ten appearances through the 2025 season, whose playoff game was played in January 2026. Averages are shown to one decimal place. Rushing and receiving touchdowns are combined only where labeled; return yards are kept separate from scrimmage yards.
- Current player information and photograph: Tampa Bay Buccaneers player profile. Listed height, weight, number and position follow the current NFL roster.
- Season statistics: Buccaneers career tables, checked against the individual regular-season game logs linked above. Career totals include the partial 2026 season.
- Postseason: the five official season logs linked in the playoff tables. Regular-season and playoff production are never added together into a single career total.
- College background and honors: Memphis biography, FWAA freshman award announcement and the Eagles draft-signing report.
- Team changes, championship background and playing style: Buccaneers signing report and Buccaneers scouting feature.
- Pittsburgh recognition: 2025 Steelers Team MVP announcement. The honor was voted on by Steelers players; it is not the NFL Most Valuable Player award.
- November 1, 2026: official Falcons game notes, rushing feature and Gainwell game log. The verified rushing line is 25 carries for 140 yards, and Tampa Bay’s team total is 324 yards.