Bucky Irving Controversy Arises
November 20th, 2025
So last month, Joe was advised of a non-football issue tied to Bucky Irving, and Joe did a lot of digging to find the truth.
Joe even commissioned Ira Kaufman to tap his sources as well as another one of Joe’s plugged-in confidants.
After a lot of homework, Joe was satisfied with a direct answer that explained Irving’s issue was in the rearview mirror and no longer was affecting his football life. This was nothing sinister or anything that called Irving’s character into question. Case closed.
That was three weeks ago.
Joe didn’t write anything about it in this space or talk about it publicly.
But today, Mike Florio of NBC Sports and ProFootballTalk.com, said there’s a non-injury issue tied to Irving that is part of the reason he is not expected to play Sunday in Los Angeles. Florio is arguably the most well-connected NFL insider.
Joe cannot keep quiet if Florio is piping the following out to the NFL world with the following candor.
“I’m not so sure Bucky Irving is going to be back this weekend based upon something I heard when we were in Philadelphia,” Florio said today.
“I’ll tell you off-air what I heard,” Florio continued to his co-host Chris Simms. “I want to be careful. It just underscores the very real existence of inside information. Because it’s something that probably shouldn’t be out. But I don’t think he’s going to be back anytime soon. It definitely is more information than what’s in the injury report.”
Joe has no idea what is happening currently. It could be a revival of what Joe learned last month or something completely different.
Perhaps most disturbing is Florio saying he doesn’t think Irving will be back “anytime soon.”
Bucs icon Rondé Barber already reported Irving will not play Sunday. Irving, who officially is listed with shoulder and ankle issues, has been practicing this week (and last week) on a limited basis.