Bucky Irving’s early return to the practice field following shoulder surgery signals a potential resurgence for Tampa Bay's backfield alongside new addition Kenneth Gainwell this season.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have received a positive update on one of their best players.
When Bucky Irving underwent shoulder surgery in February, the team assumed he would be ready for training camp.
But OTAs were up in the air, and coach Todd Bowles told reporters he wasn't sure if Irving would be cleared for this part of the offseason.
Well, Irving is clear, and video captured by the team's social media account showed Irving practicing and looking pretty good, and any doubts that Irving would be at his best come training camp should be put to rest.
“Bucky's doing a lot of things,” Bowles said. “We expect him to be ready for the summer.”
When Irving is healthy, he can be one of the better backs in football. As a rookie, Irving helped the Bucs win the NFC South by rushing for more than 1,100 yards, adding eight touchdowns and averaging 5.4 yards per carry.
But this season, injuries limited Irving to 10 games, and when he was healthy enough to play, he wasn't himself, ending the year with 588 yards, one touchdown, and a 3.4-yard-per-carry average.
Whether or not last year set the tone for an injury-riddled career won't be known for a while, but for now, Bucs fans should be looking forward to what Irving can do in the backfield along with Kenneth Gainwell.
The Bucs signed Gainwell this March after a team-MVP season with the Pittsburgh Steelers in which he totaled more than 1,000 all-purpose yards.
These days, just one quality back isn't enough for a lot of teams, and a good example is last year's Super Bowl winner and runner-up. The Seattle Seahawks' backfield consisted of Kenneth Walker III (1,027 yards, five touchdowns, 4.6 yards per carry) and Zach Charbonnet (730 yards, 12 touchdowns, four yards per carry).
In the AFC, the New England Patriots had TreVeyon Henderson (911 yards, nine touchdowns, 5.1 yards per carry) and Rhamondre Stevenson (603 yards, seven touchdowns, 4.6 yards per carry), so, yeah, "dynamic duos" are a thing.
The shelf life of an NFL RB isn't a long one, with the average shelf life being between 2.5 and three years. Bucs fans are hoping to be able to watch Irving at least through the length of his rookie contract, which expires after the 2027 season.
Irving being healthy is a big step toward making that happen.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
