The already-hobbled Tampa Bay Buccaneers are dealing with a plethora of injuries, and during that 25-31 loss to the Philadelphia, they lost yet another key piece in running back Bucky Irving. He finally got the RB1 not for the Bucs this season and has already rushed for 237 rushing yards, 197 receiving yards, with two touchdowns, but he may not improve on those stats this season due to injury.
As a rookie, Bucky Irving has shown a lot of promise since being drafted in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft. He finished last season with 1,122 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, with 392 receiving yards.
What Happened to Bucky Irving?
He got injured near the end of a first half thanks to a hard tackle by Philly’s Calais Campbell, with Irving hitting the field hard. He returned to the game and even played a good second half, so his injuries were not made clear immediately. Many thought that he was just suffering from shock, but had several MRIs just in case.
However, those MRIs showed that the running back was damaged by that hit a lot more than people expected, with Irving being seen wearing a protective boot and walking with some crutches on Monday. There is still no word on what his exact injury is, but it may have affected his ankle and foot as the running back could not walk properly.
Will Bucky Irving Play Week 5?
No, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have officially ruled out running back Bucky Irving for Sunday’s matchup against the Seattle Seahawks due to a sprained foot.
Head coach Todd Bowles had previously indicated the team was taking a “day-by-day” approach with Irving, but his recovery hasn’t progressed enough for him to suit up in Week 5. The rookie will now shift his focus toward getting healthy for Week 6, though there’s no firm timeline yet for his return.
“Right now, it’s a sprain. They’re taking it day-to-day. If he’s not out of the boot by Friday, I’ll be more inclined to say he’s probably not going to play,” he told reporters.
With Irving sidelined, Tampa Bay will likely lean on Rachaad White and the rest of its backfield committee to carry the load against Seattle.
Bucky Irving Fantasy Outlook
Bucky Irving has been doing well since finally getting to start for the Bucs and making many fantasy managers happy. However, his injury could derail things as it is very much possible that he might miss that showdown against the Seahawks.
As Bowles noted, it may be possible that he would miss Week 5, though there is still a possibility that he might play. Dropping him may not be wise, as he may be returning around Week 6 if it is indeed just a sprain, especially with the Bucs battling the injury bug.
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