The Cleveland Browns have been linked to Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Kenneth Gainwell as a possible trade target if the Buccaneers continue to struggle.
Gainwell signed a two-year, $14 million deal with Tampa Bay in free agency. The contract was meant to cover for Bucky Irving after injuries limited Irving for much of 2025.
Irving has started 2026 strongly. Gainwell has drawn only a small share of the work through five games.
Tampa Bay sits at 1-4 after a 24-16 win at Dallas on Thursday. Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine wrote Friday that further losses could put Gainwell on the market for teams still in the playoff picture.
Ballentine named the Browns, called a surprise contender, as a logical fit for a complementary back who can help in the passing game.
“Targeting secondary backs who help in the passing game,” Ballentine wrote. “Targeting Kenneth Gainwell would just be a more experienced version of that kind of back.”
Gainwell topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025. He carried 114 times for 537 yards and five touchdowns and caught 73 passes for 486 yards and three scores.
His rushing average was 4.7 yards per attempt. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell ranked him the NFL’s top backup running back before this season.
Gainwell also impressed at Tampa Bay’s June minicamp.
Irving finished his 2024 rookie season with 1,514 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns, including 1,122 rushing yards, mostly behind Rachaad White. Injuries held him to 865 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns in 10 games in 2025.
Gainwell has had limited carries and targets so far in 2026. That light usage, paired with his prior production, is what makes him a name for clubs that need a proven third-down option.
For the Browns, a back who caught 73 passes last season could fill a specific role without requiring a starter’s workload. Any deal would have to be finished by the Nov. 4 trade deadline.
Cleveland’s interest will depend on how its own backfield holds up and whether Tampa Bay decides the $14 million investment is better spent elsewhere.
