Bucky Irving has been one of the best running backs in the NFL during his two years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, injuries limited him to just ten games last season, and now an offseason shoulder surgery is forcing him to miss OTAs. This can potentially cloud his outlook in 2026, including in fantasy football, where many managers are growing concerned.<\/p>\n
Bucky Irving Shoulder Injury Continues to Impact His Availability for Buccaneers<\/p>\n
The Buccaneers are apparently expecting Irving to return \u201csometime in the summer or fall\u201d as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery, according to head coach Todd Bowles<\/a>. Mentioning the fall as a possibility for when he could return implies that he\u2019s not a lock to be ready for Week 1 in early September.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n This situation raises red flags for many fantasy football players, especially considering most drafts take place during the summer. Many fantasy analysts expressed their legitimate concerns about his outlook, despite his impressive production so far. According to PFSN\u2019s RB Impact Metric<\/a>, he finished his rookie season fourth among all running backs in the league, but finished last season at 47th, with an impact score of 46.9.<\/p>\n \u201cNot a doctor, but kinda wild that Bucky Irving still hasn\u2019t been cleared from an injury that he returned from, played with for the final six games of the season, and seemingly didn\u2019t re-aggravate along the way,\u201d speculated Ian Haritz<\/a> after the latest update on the running back\u2019s injury.<\/p>\n Irving returned from a shoulder injury last year to finish out the season, but now an offseason surgery complicates his situation even further.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Take a Quick Break. Run a Mock Draft! Powered by PFSN’s NFL Mock Draft Simulator<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe timeline has been odd since being injured early in the season,\u201d stated Pete Nova<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Buccaneers opted to bring in reinforcements by signing Kenneth Gainwell, who had a solid season with the Pittsburgh Steelers last year.<\/p>\n All of this has led several fantasy football analysts to make their concerns about his outlook perfectly clear.<\/p>\n \u201cVibes could not be worse for Bucky right now,\u201d said OTL<\/a>. \u201cPanic meter on Bucky Irving is at 11, btw,\u201d admitted Bootleg Fantasy Football<\/a>.<\/p>\n This has led some to advise managers to outright fade the star running back in drafts this year.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n BE AN NFL GM: PFSN\u2019s Ultimate GM Simulator<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cLet me save you guys the headache: Don\u2019t draft Bucky Irving this season,\u201d suggested Brian Drake<\/a>.<\/p>\n It was also pointed out that he is in a similar situation as Malik Nabers, another young prospect with massive upside, who is also dealing with an injury impacting his fantasy outlook for the 2026 season.<\/p>\n
Before you keep reading, jump into the shoes of the GM of your favorite team.<\/p>\n