The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced today the re-signing of Pro Bowl running back Doug Martin to a five year, $35.7 million dollar deal.
Our top priority heading into this offseason was to ensure that Doug remained a Buccaneer and today we are excited to announce that he will,” said Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht. “Many of our offensive accomplishments last season can be attributed to the success of our running game with Doug in the backfield and we believe he is a perfect fit for our offensive system. It is always satisfying when you get the opportunity to reward one of your own players and Doug certainly has earned his place as one of our young foundational players.”
A two-time Pro Bowl selection (2012, 2015), Martin also earned first-team All-Pro status following the 2015 season, after he rushed for 1,402 yards (second in the NFL) and six touchdowns.
He averaged 4.87 yards per carry last season, the highest mark in the NFL by any running back with at least 250 carries since 2013 (LeSean McCoy, 5.12 on 314 carries) and the highest average in team history among running backs with at least 250 carries in a season. Martin finished the season with 1,673 yards from scrimmage, the fourth-highest total in the league and the third-highest mark in franchise history.
Martin, 27, was originally drafted by Tampa Bay in the first round (31st overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft. In four seasons with the Buccaneers, he has started all 49 games he has played in, rushing 868 times for 3,806 yards (4.4 avg.) and 20 touchdowns, while catching 107 passes for 873 yards and two touchdowns.
Since entering the league in 2012, Martin ranks seventh in the NFL in rushing yards per game (77.7 – min. 40 games played) and 11th in total scrimmage yards per game (95.5 – min. 40 games played).
Despite having played in only 49 games, Martin is already one of the top rushers in franchise history, ranking fourth in rushing yards (3,806), tied for fifth in rushing touchdowns (20) and seventh in scrimmage yards (4,679). He holds two of the top three seasons in team history for rushing yards (2012, 2015), while owning the franchise’s two highest single-game rushing marks (251 at Oakland, 11/4/12; 235 at Philadelphia, 11/22/15).
