Season ends quietly

Vaughn logged only two special-teams snaps during the Buccaneers' 30-27 divisional-round loss to the Rams on Sunday. He finished the 2021 regular season with 36 carries for 180 yards and two touchdowns along with four catches (eight targets) for 26 yards. He also amassed 15 yards in kickoff returns, all across 12 games.

The second-year back finished up his season the same way he began it back in September, as a complete non-factor on offense. Vaughn didn't see his first carries until Week 7 against the Bears, and he only logged another three after that point until Week 15, when multiple injuries struck the Buccaneers backfield. Vaughn did give a solid accounting of himself from that point forward, averaging 5.3 yards per rush on his 28 carries over the final four games of the regular season while adding a pair of rushing touchdowns and his aforementioned four catches. The Vanderbilt product then played a significant role in the wild-card win over the Eagles, pacing the backfield with 17 carries and also recording a pair of grabs with Ronald Jones and Leonard Fournette both unavailable. Neither of his backfield mates is guaranteed to be back in 2022, meaning that Vaughn's late-season taste of extended action could essentially prove to have been an on-field audition for a much larger role next season.