Bucky Irving spent most of his life defined by football. Then, for the first time since he was four years old, the game got taken away from him.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back missed significant time in 2025 with foot and shoulder injuries, a stretch that included offseason shoulder surgery and derailed what many expected to be a follow-up to his breakout rookie campaign. Speaking with reporters during 2026 training camp, Irving described what that forced pause taught him about himself, according to the Buccaneers’ official team site.
“I learned a lot about myself,” Irving said. “What this game means to me — I’ve been doing this since I was 4-years-old, and it was my first time being hurt.”
He didn’t stop there. Irving connected the injury to something bigger than football — a chance to find out who he is away from the field.
“Being able to also know you are more than just a football player and just being able to self-reflect on things that you can learn outside of football,” he said, per the team’s own reporting.
A Rookie Year That Set the Bar High
Irving’s 2025 slump stung because of how high he’d set the bar as a rookie. In 2024, he rushed for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns while adding 47 catches for 392 yards, instantly establishing himself as one of the more dynamic dual-threat backs in the league. Bleacher Report noted that his follow-up season looked nothing like that: just 588 rushing yards and one touchdown on the ground, plus 30 catches for 277 yards and three scores across 10 games.
The numbers tell only part of the story. Irving battled through a foot sprain before a shoulder injury turned more serious, eventually requiring surgery that kept him out of offseason minicamp entirely.
| Season | Rush Yards | Rush TDs | Receptions | Rec. Yards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 (Rookie) | 1,122 | 8 | 47 | 392 |
| 2025 | 588 | 1 | 30 | 277 |
Full-Go Entering Training Camp
Head coach Todd Bowles offered an encouraging update as camp opened, saying Irving is fully cleared and won’t be eased back in once pads come on.
“He feels fine, he’s great,” Bowles said, via the team’s official channels. “He’s full speed. He’s full-go right now.”
Irving echoed that, describing steady progress through his recovery and crediting the training staff for getting him back on track. On the practice field, that showed up immediately — Irving took first-team reps on day one of camp, running full speed and stacking cuts much like he did during his rookie year, per Buccaneers.com.
Even during his injury-shortened second season, Irving showed flashes of his rookie form once healthy. Over the final six games, he handled 113 touches for 435 total yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns, a sign the talent never left — only the availability.
What It Means for the Bucs’ 2026 Backfield
Tampa Bay missed the playoffs after a rough close to the 2025 season, and a healthy Irving is central to fixing that. The team added veteran Kenneth Gainwell as insurance and a complementary piece, but Irving remains the clear starter when available.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield is chasing his own bounce-back after his play tailed off down the stretch last year. A dependable Irving in the backfield — both as a runner and a receiving option — takes pressure off Mayfield and the passing game to carry the offense on their own.
The Buccaneers open the 2026 season on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals on September 13, their first trip to Cincinnati since 2018.
