After their first loss of the season in Week 4, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be without Bucky Irving for their Week 5 clash against the Seattle Seahawks. The 23-year-old suffered an injury during their 31-25 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles. Here’s the latest update on Irving’s health.
Bucky Irving Injury Update
The Buccaneers would have loved for everyone to be healthy heading into Sunday’s matchup in Seattle. However, they are already forced to make the cross-country flight without Mike Evans and Irving, though veteran wideout Chris Godwin just returned from injury. With Evans out, Baker Mayfield could be looking at a depleted offense, especially if Irving is also sidelined.
Buccaneers beat writer Greg Auman provided a concerning update on the star running back. “Not looking good for Bucs RB Bucky Irving, who had a boot on his left foot and was on crutches at today’s walkthrough,” Auman wrote on X. “Focus on Rachaad White and Sean Tucker for Sunday in Seattle.”
On Sunday, NFL insider Adam Schefter dropped an update on Irving’s injury. “Turns out that Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving’s shoulder injury, which he did not report to the team until Tuesday last week, is more of an issue than his sprained foot, per sources,” Schefter wrote. “Irving is dealing with a shoulder subluxation that is expected to sideline him at least two weeks. Irving will not play today vs. the Seahawks and he’s not expected back for next week’s game vs. the 49ers, either.”
So far this season, Irving already has 430 combined rushing and receiving yards. Shockingly, both of his touchdowns have come through the air.
With Irving sidelined against Seattle, the Buccaneers will lean on RBs Rachaad White and Sean Tucker — two capable backups. While White has just 23 carries compared to Irving’s 71, he’s averaging more yards per attempt (4.7 vs. 3.3). He’s also caught eight passes on nine targets for 34 yards over the first four games.
Through four weeks, Tampa Bay has the 22nd-ranked offense in PFSN’s Offensive Impact metric. Irving has been the 32nd-ranked back in PFSN’s RB Impact metric.
While Irving toughed out his injury to finish the game against the Eagles, it was clear he was struggling. It now seems unlikely he’ll be available before the Week 7 matchup against the Detroit Lions.
Fantasy Outlook of Buccaneers’ Backfield
He’s not Bijan Robinson, but the way things look in slow motion for Irving is awfully similar to how they look for Atlanta’s star RB.
Irving is the only back in the NFL with at least 14 carries and four receptions in all four weeks this season, and his 72-yard TD reception against the Eagles was a good reminder of just how rare this skill set is.
Mayfield was doing his thing to buy time, and that means there is a poor linebacker out there trying to keep up with one of the five most electrifying backs in the sport.
Unfortunately, Irving is now banged up and may miss this weekend’s game. If you’re an Irving manager, hopefully, you preemptively added Rachaad White or Sean Tucker just in case.
Let’s give White his due — he’s worked his way back into Todd Bowles’ good graces. No longer do I believe that if Irving were to miss time that Tucker would be the guy. It would be White.
White still doesn’t have enough standalone value when Irving is healthy. His 8.6 fantasy points are workable in a pinch, but he’s just as capable of delivering the 2.4 he posted the previous week. This is Irving’s backfield.
With Irving sidelined, however, White becomes an every-week RB2. That alone makes him worth rostering in more leagues. Still, while White has been solid this season, it’s important to remember how impressive Tucker looked last year.
Think back to the Bucs’ dominant win over the New Orleans Saints, when Tucker racked up 192 total yards and two touchdowns. He’s always been a talented back, though health concerns caused him to slip in the draft.
I suspect Irving will be sidelined longer than anticipated, giving Tucker a real opportunity to prove himself. While there’s a chance Tampa Bay leans on veteran White against the Seahawks, Tucker remains a strong sleeper pick thanks to his rushing ability. He’s the superior runner of the two and worth keeping on your bench.
