The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking to get back in the win column in Week 13. Tampa got embarrassed by Los Angeles last week and fell to 6-5 on the season. Fortunately, their starting running back should be making his return for the Buccaneers on Sunday.
Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving opened up on his lengthy injury absence during a recent interview.
“It's tough man, your first time being hurt,” Irving said on Wednesday, per Buccaneers reporter Rick Stroud. “I mean when I step on that field, like I always say, I don't take this game for granted. I love what I do every day, I love my teammates. And when I go out there I play and I show them that each and every time that I get the ball, I'm trying to make plays and make things happen for this organization. Help them in any type of fashion to win a football game.”
Bucky also explained that his faith helped him persevere through his first rough bout of injuries during his NFL career.
Irving missed a total of seven games for the Buccaneers after suffering foot and shoulder injuries in Week 4.
He looked good in practice before Week 12, but Tampa decided to hold him out for one more week. Irving is a crucial piece of Tampa's offense, so it was good to see them play it careful with him.
Irving slowly gained traction over time during his rookie season. However, he came out of the gates in 2025 as a high-volume piece of the offense.
He logged 71 carries for 237 rushing yards and 19 receptions for 193 receiving yards and two touchdowns in just four games. That gave him an average of 22.5 touches per game.
It will be fascinating to see how the reintroduction of Irving influences Tampa's offense this weekend.
Next up for the Buccaneers is a Week 13 matchup against the Cardinals.
