The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been forced to get contributions from every crew member on the ship in 2025.
It has been a grind without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in the receiver room, but perhaps the biggest hit to the Bucs offense came when Bucky Irving suffered an injury. The running back has been sidelined for a month with a foot and shoulder injury, missing the last four games heading into the bye week.
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Now with Tampa Bay ready to get into the second half of its season, it’s a mystery whether the star running back will be ready to go after the regular season’s halftime.
The Buccaneers do have the benefit of returning to game action at home in Week 10, but they face an overachieving New England Patriots team battling for the AFC East crown.
Getting Irving back would represent a much-needed jolt for an offense that was starting to show some cracks in the armor. Here’s the latest on Irving.
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Best images of the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa’s effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
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Best images of the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa’s effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
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Best images of the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: The New England Patriots’ Robert Spillane (14) and Christian Elliss (53) tackle Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer (87) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. The Raiders won the game, 20-13.
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Best images of the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) fumbles the ball on a tackle by Washington Commanders safety Will Harris (3) during the first quarter at Northwest Stadium. It was a rough Giants debut for Wilson (17 of 37 passing for 168 yards) as the Commanders won the game, 21-6.
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Best images of the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: Fireworks go off before the NFL Kickoff Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles opened the season with a 24-20 victory over their longtime NFC East rivals.
When will Bucky Irving return?
Irving’s return date is still not known.
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The running back was quickly ruled out for the team’s contest in Week 8 with foot and shoulder injuries. He was also unable to participate in practice before the team’s bye week, further clouding his status moving forward.
Those waiting for an update likely won’t get any clarity until Nov. 5 at the earliest, when Tampa releases its initial Week 10 injury report.
It stands to reason that the team would like to see Irving log some practice time before making his return.
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Irving was spotted wearing a walking boot ahead of Week 5 and hasn’t participated in practice since. The second-year running back has been a key contributor for Tampa since arriving.
The former Oregon Duck rushed for 1,122 yards in his rookie season, playing in all 17 games.
He hasn’t been as effective as a runner in his second season, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry compared to 5.4 in 2024. However, Irving made up for it in the passing game, bringing his receiving total from 23.1 yards per game last year to 48.3 this season.
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If nothing else, the Buccaneers’ offense remains one of the league’s more explosive units, even without operating at full strength.
Buccaneers RB depth chart
Here’s a look at who the Buccaneers will have at RB without Irving on Sunday:
White is no stranger to the starting role in Tampa’s offense. He famously held that spot before Irving was drafted in 2024 and remains a dual threat in the offense.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bucky Irving return date: Bucs RB injury update, timeline