The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in a challenging position after their Week 4 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. It was only their first loss of the season, but that is not what they should be concerned about.
The more significant issue is the number of injuries that are piling up. The Buccaneers were already down numerous players entering last week, and the injuries have not slowed down.
How Did the Piled-Up Injuries Affect the Buccaneers?
The most significant injury from their Week 4 game was to running back Bucky Irving. The second-year running back left the field in the final seconds of the first half after a hit from linebacker Jihaad Campbell.
He apparently suffered an ankle/foot injury. Although he returned to start the second half and played the rest of the game, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles shared afterwards that he was concerned about Irving’s injury and revealed that the running back needed an MRI. While Irving hasn’t been ruled out for Week 5 against the Seattle Seahawks, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo revealed that his status is “up in the air” while he gathers medical opinions.
Irving recorded 1,122 yards and eight rushing touchdowns in 2024. He also caught 47 of his 52 targets for 392 receiving yards.
According to Rick Stroud, the Buccaneers will hold a walk-through practice on Wednesday in part due to the number of players injured. Not having enough healthy bodies to run a full practice is concerning.
#Bucs are having a walk-through practice at 10:30 am Wed. Just speculating that the injury list is probably preventing any more than that.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) September 30, 2025
Outside of Irving, some of the other players injured include Mike Evans, Luke Goedeke, Cody Mauch, and Calijah Kancey, to name a few. It is hard to believe a team can have this many injuries across only four games, but here we are. Tampa Bay will have a difficult time reaching its ultimate goals if it cannot find a way to maintain its health.
Next Man Up in Tampa Bay
No one is going to feel sorry for the Buccaneers because they are going through injuries. It is next man up for the Bucs, who must rely on their depth. One player who has been asked to do a ton is rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.
According to PFSN, Egbuka has a 79.8 WR Impact Score; he is playing at a high level for a rookie despite his team having a 71.6 Offense Impact Score. The Buccaneers have asked a lot of Egbuka, and he has been exceptional.
If Irving has to miss time, the Bucs will lean on Rachaad White and Sean Tucker. Fortunately for Tampa Bay, running back is one of its deepest positions. Still, Irving is a electrifying playmaker, so he will be sorely missed if he is eventually ruled out.
The Bucs have three challenging games coming up against the Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, and Detroit Lions. They must find a way to win at least one of those games to remain over .500 after the stretch. We will learn a lot about the Bucs in those games and whether they are contenders or pretenders.
