Healthy and explosive again, Tampa Bay’s dynamic back looks to recapture his rookie form as Zac Robinson pairs the shifty runner with Kenneth Gainwell for a potent backfield.
Can Bucky Irving return to being the dynamic, explosive running back he was during his rookie season of 2024?
That is one of the biggest questions looming over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offense this season.
The Bucs' offense has the talent to be one of the most potent in the league, but Irving's play will go a long way in the team playing up to its potential. Tampa went out and signed Kenneth Gainwell in free agency, giving Irving a backfield mate that can not only take some of the pressure off of him, but also help give the Bucs one of the most dynamic RB duos in the NFL. Now that Irving is all the way back from his injuries, it is easy to get excited about the tandem.
Gainwell can also take over lead-back duties from Irving if the latter struggles to stay healthy again or doesn't regain his form from 2024.
Luckily for the Bucs, Irving has looked like himself again in practice. According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, new Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson has been very impressed with the third-year back.
"Feet Always Underneath Him"
One of the things Robinson is most impressed with about Irving is his footwork. Robinson talked about his ability to plant, change direction on a dime, and run with the balance necessary to break tackles.
“His feet are always in the ground. So he’s always able to change direction and, obviously, that keeps him so balanced to be able to break tackles.”
Robinson also talked about watching Irving during his fantastic rookie season while he was Atlanta's OC, and is thrilled to be able to coach him now.
“Bucky is a stud,” Robinson said. “Watching him in 2024, he’s an explosive play waiting to happen. ... He’s just got such a great attitude and a great spirit about him. He’s a team guy and always has a smile on his face. Just the person has been cool to get to know.
“I’m still getting to know a lot of these guys, because you only have so much time in the spring. But I’m feeling the personalities of guys now. ... Bucky has been great.”
One of the great points Stroud makes is how successful Irving was in 2024, when Liam Coen was the Bucs' offensive coordinator. Robinson and Coen worked together under Sean McVay with the Los Angeles Rams and have very similar offenses.
In fact, Robinson's system has been described as "50% new, 50% Liam Coen's system."
Final Thoughts
It's a great piece by Stroud, offering a lot of insight into how the Bucs plan on using both Irving and Gainwell this season.
The partnership between Irving and Robinson looks like a match made in heaven, with Robinson running an offense that best suits Irving's strengths. When you add in Gainwell, who is terrific as a receiver, coming off a season with the Pittsburgh Steelers with a career-high 73 receptions, the Bucs could have one of the best backfields in the NFL.
With Coen calling the offense in 2024, Irving led Tampa to the league's fourth-best rushing attack. With many of those same concepts back in play this season, Irving has a great chance to, once again, be the back who ran for over 1,100 yards and eight scores as a rookie.
Irving has already made a great first impression on his new OC. Tampa's running back duo should be an exciting tandem in 2026, with expectations to be one of the league's best.
If the Bucs' running game gets back to the success it had under Coen with Robinson, they should be able to ride Irving and Gainwell all the way back to the playoffs.
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