The first half of their Week 4 game against the Philadelphia Eagles went about as badly as anyone associated with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could have anticipated. A blocked punt return for a touchdown from Philadelphia to open the game was a clear indicator of how things were going to go down.
However, the situation got markedly worse as the game went on. Already ravaged by injuries, it seemed like Tampa Bay had another major loss to deal with. This time around, it was their star running back, Bucky Irving.
What Happened to Bucky Irving?
Near the end of the first half, as they tried to move the ball downfield with Irving, the running back was tackled viciously. Losing yardage on the play, it looked like things weren’t fully okay.
As he came up grimacing and at his ribs, his status immediately came into question. Going to the sidelines, though, he seemed to be doing better as he tried to warm up once again.
Thankfully for Tampa Bay, it didn’t look like it was anything more than a very hard hit that Irving took some time to adjust to. For an offense that is already dealing with a devastated offensive line and lost Mike Evans last week, another blow may have been too much to overcome.
On Monday, head coach Todd Bowles provided an update on the running back’s status. When asked whether he’s worried about Irving’s status for Week 5, Bowles replied, “Yeah, he’s one of them.”
Irving rushed for 63 yards on 15 carries and had five receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown in the loss against the Eagles.
Saquon Barkley 🤝 Bucky Irving pic.twitter.com/cv1V8SqfOi
— NFL Retweet (@NFLRT) September 29, 2025
Last week, names like Chris Godwin, Tristan Wirfs, Baker Mayfield, and Emeka Ebuka were all on the Buccaneers’ injury report. Another key contributor in Irving getting added to that list would have only made the situation that much worse.
A fourth-round pick in 2024, Irving outperformed every expectation that the Bucs could have had. Despite starting just three games all season, he finished his rookie year with 1,122 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, while adding 392 yards through the air as well.
So far this season, Irving has rushed for 237 yards on 71 carries, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry. However, he has been explosive in the passing game as the 23-year-old running back has recorded 19 receptions for 193 yards and two touchdowns in four games.
His status will be monitored through the week, and it will be interesting to see whether Irving will be ready to play against the Seattle Seahawks.
