Bucky Irving’s 2025 season never really had a chance to breathe.
The Buccaneers running back fought through recurring shoulder subluxation and foot injuries all year, and the result was a sharp drop-off from his rookie production. Still, Pro Football Focus didn’t bury him. Even after the setbacks, Irving landed at No. 17 among starting running backs.
That placement comes with some context. Irving finished behind Javonte Williams, who played for the Dallas Cowboys and rushed for more than 1,000 yards. Williams topped Irving by more than 600 rushing yards, but Irving’s ranking still reflects how much talent PFF sees in him despite the lost production.
The numbers from last season tell the story of a player clearly limited. Irving ran for 588 yards after going over 1,000 yards as a rookie.
His 3.4 yards per carry was the lowest among running backs with at least 100 carries, and he never cracked the 100-yard mark in a game. His best outing came in Week 18 against the Carolina Panthers on Jan. 3, when he ran for 85 yards.
Even in a frustrating year, Irving still gave Tampa Bay something in the passing game. He caught 30 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns, and he had his best receiving game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 28 in Week 4, when he went over 100 yards through the air.
The offseason brought a major step toward getting him right. Irving had shoulder surgery to deal with the lingering issue, and while Todd Bowles said he would be back sometime in the summer or fall, Irving returned earlier than expected and was back for June OTAs.
That early return matters, especially with Kenneth Gainwell now in the mix. Gainwell gives Tampa Bay some protection if Irving runs into more injury trouble, but if Irving is healthy, the Buccaneers suddenly have a backfield pairing with real juice.
That’s the version Tampa Bay saw in Irving’s rookie year. The 2024 fourth-round pick was highly efficient, posting a 90.0 PFF rushing grade, forcing 62 missed tackles and leading the NFL with 3.93 yards after contact per attempt among running backs with at least 150 carries.
He was just as dangerous as a receiver, too, earning a 90.2 PFF receiving grade, the second-best mark at the position. He finished that season with 47 catches for 392 yards and 1,514 total yards.
Now Irving heads into the 2026 season, ahead of schedule after the early return from surgery. He’s entering the third year of his four-year, $4.75 million rookie contract, and a healthy rebound would put Tampa Bay in a position where extending him starts to make a lot of sense.
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The personnel losses only deepen the concern, with Jamel Dean gone and Lavonte David retired, leaving the roster thinner in spots that mattered most. Even so, Schwabs view is not entirely bleak for Tampa Bay, since he still thinks the Bucs can reclaim the division in 2026 if the core comes together, with Bucky Irvings health and explosiveness looming as one of the bigger questions hanging over the team. [Read more 🡒]