Ellington rushed four times for nine yards, brought in his only target for nine yards, and returned three kickoffs for 59 yards in the Buccaneers' 30-28 preseason loss to the Steelers on Friday.
The veteran running back saw action behind the top duo of Peyton Barber and Ronald Jones, as expected. Ellington couldn't do much on the ground while playing with second- and third-string offensive linemen, but he proved solid on kickoff returns during what was his first game action since 2017 with the Texans. Fellow reserve back Dare Ogunbowale paced the Buccaneers with 10 carries and two rushing touchdowns Friday and is also capable of returning kicks, so the battle between him and Ellington could be one that extends through the last preseason game.