TAMPA – Injured tailback Bucky Irving was nowhere to be seen on the practice field Thursday, a strong indication that the leader of the Tampa Bay Bucs ground game won’t be ready to suit up Sunday in Seattle. That meant the spotlight shifted to his understudy, Rachaad White, who found a group of media waiting to talk to him in the locker room after practice.
“I feel like I’m always ready,” said the fourth-year Buccaneer, who was supplanted in the No. 1 role last year when then-rookie Irving came on strong midway through the season. “I feel like it’s a great opportunity for me, as well as the team to show our depth and who we are.”
Assuming Irving isn’t available – part of the conga line of injuries the Bucs are dealing with at the moment – then White would likely lead a rotation of himself, Sean Tucker and rookie Josh Williams in the tailback role.
“It’s an opportunity – if 'Buck' can’t go – for all three of us to go out there and do what we’ve got to do to help the team win,” he added.
A day earlier, head coach Todd Bowles said he wouldn’t know for sure Friday morning about Irving’s status. “Right now, it’s a sprain – they’re taking it day-to-day,” he told reporters. “If he’s not out of the (protective) boot by Friday, I’d be more inclined to say he’s probably not going to play.”
(Note: ESPN reports Friday morning that Irving could miss the next two games).
During his weekly media update Thursday, offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard addressed the inevitable question of how he’ll approach the rushing game if Irving is out.
“It’s something a lot like we do with the offensive line or the wideouts, where we have all the confidence in the world in those guys on being able to play and step up and have a bigger role if he’s not able to go,” Grizzard said.
“You try to tailor it to them, like you would on the offensive line. What can they do differently on a pass concept or a run concept? And you try to put those guys in (the right) position. Rachaad’s in a really good spot, doing a helluva job this year in the run and the pass game. So if it gets to that, we have full confidence in him going out and making some plays.”
Drafted in the third round in 2022 out of Arizona State, White had a solid if unspectacular rookie season, rushing for 481 yards and a touchdown, while adding 50 receptions for 290 yards and two scores. His best season came in 2023 with 990 rushing yards with six touchdowns, and another 64 catches for 549 yards. Last season, during his time-share arrangement with Irving, he more than held his own with 613 rushing yards and three TDs, with 51 catches for 393 yards and six scores.
Tucker, a fleet-footed, third-year player out of Syracuse, played a lesser role in the mix last season, gaining 308 yards with a pair of touchdowns, and nine catches for 109 yards and a score. He saw only limited action in the season opener, while Williams – a rookie free agent out of LSU – has yet to play but has looked sharp in practice.
“It’s hard to be a pro’s pro as a rookie, but just the way he’s studies and the way he has communicated (has been impressive),” Grizzard said. “One of the things he told Bake (quarterback Baker Mayfield) in practice – (involving) one of the protections – was not something you would hear from a rookie from the schematics of it. But even in the walk-through that we had (Wednesday) on the reps he was in there, he knew what to do and where to go, and when the ball’s in his hands he’s a real good player, so we’re excited for him.”
Meanwhile, how might Grizzard work Tucker in as the game progresses?
“I think it’s each week, what are those plays where we want to get him in there, try to get him the ball, and then once you get in the game sometimes those are adjusted based on how it’s going. One guy is getting more or less (touches). And then last week (in the 31-25 loss to Philadelphia after a 24-3 deficit) things got a little sideways early in terms of the score, so it made it a little bit harder to try to get the football to different guys. But he’s doing a good job in practice and his time will come.”
Replacing Irving, of course, won’t be easy. After a slow start in 2024, he emerged as the clear starter just past the midway point of the season and had his breakout game in Week12 with 25 carries for 152 yards and a touchdown, remaining a force the rest of the way. This year, he has started every game, logging 37, 71 and 66 yards behind a battered and makeshift offensive line in the first three games. Injured during the Eagles contest, he stayed in the game and picked up 63 yards on 15 rushes, but his big moment was a 72 yard catch and run for a touchdown that put the Bucs back into contention.
"I mean, having a lot of reps with Rachaad and you guys have seen what ‘Tuck’ has been able to do, as well, with his speed – it's elite,” said Mayfield on Wednesday. “…And then you add in a guy like Josh Williams if Bucky is not able to go…(He is) a guy that I told you guys during training camp that I really, really liked. (He’s a) smart kid, knows exactly what we're trying to get done. So, it's not the same without ‘Buck’ because he brings a different spark to it and those explosive plays that you guys have seen for two years now that we'll be missing, but we'll see. Hopefully he's able to play, but if not, we trust the guys that are in there."
Unfortunately, the Bucs also have plenty who are not in there – with numerous other injuries to contend with. In addition to being without All-Pro wide receiver Mike Evans, recovering from a hamstring injury for several more weeks, two of their cornerbacks are banged up, Jamel Dean (hip) and Benjamin Morrison (hamstring), while another six did not participate in Wednesday’s practice and four more were limited. That could make life even more difficult against a Seahawks defense that already has registered 12 sacks and seven interception, while quarterback Sam Darnold has amassed a quarterback rating of 106.5, leading an offense averaging 27.8 points per game.
Amid the injuries, the Bucs did receive some good news Thursday when the NFL named rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka the Offensive Rookie of the Month. The former Ohio State star becomes the first Tampa Bay wide receiver to earn Rookie of the Month honors in franchise history and is the first offensive player to do so since 2015. The Buccaneers have earned five Defensive Rookie of the Month awards during that same span.
Egbuka has tallied 18 receptions for 282 yards and four touchdowns so far, and has been pivotal in the success of Mayfield’s passing attack. His splashiest play to date was a 77-yard touchdown reception last week against the Eagles that pulled the Bucs close.
“That’s pretty cool – the coaches actually told him out there (on the practice field Thursday, so everybody was able to hear that together,” Grizzard said. “We saw it even from Day One in rookie minicamp what he can do. And to be able to see things from the Ohio State tape show up early and often in the spring – and now it’s happening in every game – it’s fantastic to see.”
The Bucs will no doubt need to see a continuation of Egbuka’s game-changing play against 3-1 Seattle. And, assuming Irving’s status remains in doubt, they will certainly need a helping hand from the trio of White, Tucker and Williams.
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