Doug Martin to be inactive again, could be finished with Bucs

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin is once again going to be inactive for Week 17, and it’s fair to wonder if he has played his last game for the team.

Martin was inactive for last weekend’s game against the New Orleans Saints despite being healthy. Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter said Monday that keeping Martin off the active roster was a “coach’s decision.” Martin has said his nagging hamstring injury is no longer bothering him, but he averaged just 2.8 yards per carry over the last three games he played in. Jacquizz Rodgers rushed for 63 yards on 15 carries (4.2 YPC) against the Saints and scored a touchdown. Charles Sims has played well in the passing game as of late.

Martin signed a five-year, $33.75 million contract with Tampa Bay last offseason, and his base salary for 2017 is $7 million. The circumstances make it seem like his tenure with the Bucs is coming to a close.

“I’m not sure if it should cause it (speculation about Martin’s future) or not,” Koetter said of Martin being inactive in Week 16, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “I don’t really have any good answer for you. That decision was made and I’ll stand by it. And at some point, it will be apparent what our decision will be this week and I’ll stand by that the same way.”

When Martin was asked about being a late scratch last week, the 27-year-old didn’t seem all that pleased.

If Martin truly is healthy, it appears all but certain that the Bucs are planning to release him this offseason.