Even though the Buccaneers plan to use multiple running backs this season, Doug Martin is still the primary option according to coach Lovie Smith, reports the Tampa Bay Times.
"What I've said is I like Doug a lot. Doug's a good football player," Smith said. "Everywhere I've ever been, if you look at my history, our history, we've played more than one running back. ... One running back just can't make it through the season."
In nine seasons in Chicago as the Bears coach, Smith's leading rusher started all 16 games four times, averaging 14.5 starts. Smith's leading rusher each year accounted for 60.4 percent of his team's total rushing yards in Chicago, averaging 1,055 yards per season.
That statistic comes in contrast to what Martin has known in his short Bucs career -- as a rookie in 2012, he rushed for 1,454 yards, or 79.2 percent of the Bucs' team total; in five games in 2013 before his shoulder injury, he rushed for 82.5 percent of the team's total rushing yards.
Smith dismissed talk of a lesser role for Martin on Tuesday as "chatter," maintaining that he'll still have a central role for the Bucs, even if it's part of a group effort from the running backs.