Following the Buccaneers’ final practice of the week on Friday, Head Coach Todd Bowles confirmed that starting running back Bucky Irving will be unavailable to play on Sunday in Seattle due to foot and shoulder injuries. Irving was one of five players, the Buccaneers will be ruling out on Friday’s injury report, along with wide receiver Mike Evans, safety Christian Izien and cornerbacks Jamel Dean and Benjamin Morrison.
As a rookie, Irving gradually moved into the lead back role for Tampa Bay as the season progressed, eventually leading the team and all NFL rookies with 1,122 rushing yards and 1,514 yards from scrimmage. This year, he is the unquestioned starter and Leads the team with 237 rushing yards, 19 receptions and 430 yards from scrimmage through four games. That is obviously a big loss for an offense already missing Evans and two of its original starting offensive linemen, but the Bucs feel like they are well equipped to handle Irving’s absence.
Specifically, the team has three other running backs on the 53-man roster, veterans Rachaad White and Sean Tucker and rookie Josh Williams. White was the starter entering the 2024 season after he had racked up 1,539 yards from scrimmage in 2023, while Tucker has had far fewer opportunities but has handled them well when they’ve come. Williams, who played his college ball at LSU and made the team as an undrafted free agent, will likely be active on game day for the first time this season.
“Rachaad and most of them have played before, other than Josh,” said Bowles. “He hasn’t played before. But everybody else we’ve played with before and we think can do a hell of a job. So we feel good about them playing.”
The Bucs faced a similar situation in Week Six last year when White, then the starter, couldn’t play due to injury in a game at New Orleans. That didn’t slow down the offense, as it set a franchise single-game record with 594 net yards, with Irving contributing 105 yards from scrimmage and Tucker winning NFC Offensive Player of the Week with 192 yards from scrimmage and two scores. Tucker only has one carry for two yards this season, but in his three-year career he has carried 66 times for 333 yards, averaging 5.0 yards per run. After his explosion in New Orleans, Bowles suggested that Tucker should get the ball more often, but that has proved difficult to manufacture with the Irving-White duo being so productive.
“I still feel that way but it’s hard to do when you’ve got Bucky and Rachaad sitting right there,” said Bowles. “I didn’t say it was fair, I just said he needs more touches. I’d like [for him] to have more touches, but the other two guys deserve their touches as well. It’s just one of those good problems to have as a coach.”
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