The Tampa Bay Buccaneers dropped their third game in four weeks on Sunday, falling 44-32 to the Buffalo Bills. For a team viewed as a legitimate NFC contender, the recent slide has served as a harsh reality check. One of the biggest factors holding Tampa Bay back has been the continued absence of running back Bucky Irving, who is still recovering from a lingering foot injury.
Bucky Irving Injury Update
Irving suffered the injury in the Buccaneers’ Week 4 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. There was optimism he might return following the team’s Week 9 bye, but he was unable to suit up against Buffalo.
Last week, Bowles spoke to the media about the status of both Irving and WR Chris Godwin. According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, Bowles refused to provide a timeline for when either would be back.
However, on Wednesday, the Bucs surprised everyone when Irving participated in their walkthrough, indicating that he may actually have a chance to play this week.
Unfortunately, on Friday, the Buccaneers announced that both Godwin and Irving will not play this week. “Bucs coach Todd Bowles said both Bucky Irving and Chris Godwin are out for Sunday,” wrote Buccaneers insider Rick Stroud on X.
Without Irving, Tampa Bay has leaned on Rachaad White and Sean Tucker, who split carries in the loss to the Bills. Tucker had a monster game as he rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, averaging an impressive 5.6 yards per carry.
White also contributed with 10 carries for 51 yards and had two receptions for 11 yards. Unfortunately, the Buccaneers’ defense didn’t help out their offense, and Tampa Bay is now 6-4 on the season.
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Offensively, Tampa Bay remains competitive but inconsistent, ranking 17th in PFSN’s Offense Impact (OFFi) metric for 2025. With an OFFi score of 73.4 and 2.15 points per drive, the Buccaneers have seen a significant drop from their 2024 form, when they ranked third in the league with an 83.7 score. However, injuries have played a significant role in the regression.
White has taken over since Irving went down. In 10 games this season, he has rushed for 376 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 3.9 yards per carry. Tucker has rushed for 235 yards and four touchdowns, but is averaging 4.6 yards per carry.
According to PFSN’s RB Impact metric, White is ranked 21st among the running backs this season with an impact score of 75.5 and is graded C.
Getting Irving back sooner rather than later could be pivotal for Tampa Bay’s push to secure a strong playoff seed. His participation in practice throughout the week will be worth monitoring.