Bucky Irving's Shoulder Rehab Bears Watching
Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving isn’t cleared for football action yet after postseason shoulder surgery, according to Pewter Report.
2025 Accuracy Award Winner
Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving isn’t cleared for football action yet after postseason shoulder surgery, according to Pewter Report.
The Buccaneers have placed the restricted free agent tender on RB Sean Tucker, according to The Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported last week that the Bucs would not use the tender on Tucker, which would have sent him to the open market. But Tampa is now set to pay Tucker $3.52 million on a one-year deal. Tucker can still negotiate with other teams, but the Bucs would have the right to match any offer.
Tampa Bay has agreed to a two-year deal with RB Kenneth Gainwell that will pay $14 million, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Gainwell spent 2025 with the Steelers after arriving on a mere one-year, $1.79 million pact. That followed four seasons with the Eagles, who drafted him in the fifth round in 2021.
The Buccaneers will not place the restricted tender on RB Sean Tucker, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. That'll make Tucker a free agent when the new year league starts next week. It's a slightly surprising move considering the tender would have paid Tucker a reasonable $3.52 million on a one-year deal. But the Buccaneers have never seemed to like him as much as many in the fantasy community.
Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving underwent offseason shoulder surgery, according to multiple reports. We don't have any other details on the procedure, but JoeBucsFan.com reports that rehab is not expected to "significantly impact" Irving's offseason. Pewter Report hears that he should be ready to get back on the field by May.
The Buccaneers are hiring Zac Robinson as their new OC, "with a big push" from QB Baker Mayfield, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Mayfield worked with Robinson during his six-week stint with the Rams in 2022. Robinson spent five seasons working under Sean McVay in Los Angeles before serving as Falcons OC for the last two. Atlanta ranked sixth in yards and 13th in points in Robinson's debut, before falling to 14th in yards and 24th in points this past year. Both of Robinson's Falcons offenses ranked higher in rush attempts than pass attempts. Expect him to bring a balanced attack to Tampa Bay. Considering Mayfield's hand in the hiring, though, consider the move good news for the QB's chances of a bounce-back 2026.
The Buccaneers have fired OC Josh Grizzard, according to multiple reports. Grizzard spent just one season piloting the Tampa Bay offense after joining the team as pass-game coordinator in 2024. He spent seven years on the Dolphins offensive staff before that, working under head coaches Adam Gase, Brian Flores, and Mike McDaniel. Next season will mark the fifth time in five years under HC Todd Bowles that the Bucs have sported a different OC.
The Buccaneers welcomed RB Bucky Irving back Sunday by re-inserting him as the clear backfield leader. Irving handled 17 of the 21 RB carries in the win over the Cardinals, gaining 61 yards (3.6 per rush) and scoring the team's only ground TD. Rachaad White followed with just 7 yards on two carries. Sean Tucker handled the other two carries for no gain. White led the backfield receiving with 3 catches for 22 yards on three targets. Irving got the other two backfield targets, catching both for 20 yards.
Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving (shoulder, foot) is active for today’s game vs. the Cardinals. HC Todd Bowles said Wednesday that Irving will "probably be on a pitch count" in his first action since Week 4. Bowles then said Friday that he’ll ride the hot hand at RB, potentially opening the door for more work for Irving. We’re still projecting his touches to be scaled back considerably today, though. Check your Team Dashboard to see if Irving belongs in your starting lineup this week.
Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving (shoulder, foot) is expected to play vs. the Cardinals today, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. HC Todd Bowles said multiple times this week that Irving likely won't get a full workload today, which isn't a surprise considering it'll be his first action since Week 4. Irving checks in 26th in the Week 13 RB rankings.
Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving (shoulder, foot) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game vs. the Cardinals. He was a full participant in practice all week, though, and is expected to play. But Tampa Bay’s coaching staff has hinted multiple times this week that Irving is unlikely to get a full workload in his first action since Week 4. “Once he gets in, we’ll see how he’s rolling,” HC Todd Bowles said Friday. “And then between him, Rachaad [White], and Sean [Tucker], we’ll kinda go with the hot hand.” Irving carries a wide range of outcomes in Week 13. Check your Team Dashboard to see if he makes sense in your starting lineup.
Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving (shoulder, foot) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice. He's on track to return for this weekend's game vs. the Cardinals. But HC Todd Bowles said Irving will "probably be on a pitch count" in his first action since Week 4. "Similar to Chris Godwin last week," Bowles added. "We’ll kinda see how he goes, and which RB does what, and then playing time will be dependent on that." Godwin notably played just 36% of Tampa Bay's snaps in his return last week. We'll look for more hints on the Bucs' backfield plans in this one, but Irving is shaping up as a risk/reward Week 13 fantasy play.
Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving (shoulder, foot) is out for Sunday night’s game vs. the Rams. HC Todd Bowles said Friday that Irving is trending toward a Week 13 return. We’ll keep you updated on his status next week. Rachaad White and Sean Tucker will again handle backfield duties in Los Angeles. Tucker is coming off a monster game against a bad Buffalo run defense. The task will be much tougher vs. the Rams’ top-ranked RB defense. See where Tucker and White sit in the Week 12 RB rankings.
Tampa Bay Times beat writer Rick Stroud reported that Tampa Bay Buccaneers' RB Bucky Irving is not expected to play in Week 12 and has "struggled emotionally" after suffering his first significant injury of his career. Irving has been out since Week 4 with a foot sprain. There was some optimism that Irving would return this week after he participated in a limited practice session again on Wednesday. However, it looks like the Buccaneers will once again turn to the backfield duo of Rachaad White and Sean Tucker in a tough spot on Sunday night in Los Angeles to take on a formidable Rams' defense.
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