After a disappointing season plagued by shoulder surgery, Tampa Bay’s explosive playmaker looks to reclaim his rookie dominance and lead a revamped backfield alongside newcomer Kenneth Gainwell.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers recently received some good news regarding their star running back.
According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, RB Bucky Irving should be fully healthy in time for training camp at the end of July. Though Irving is currently not ready to practice, Stroud reports in his article that Bucs GM Jason Licht expects Irving to be fully recovered from his offseason shoulder surgery by the time training camp kicks off.
Irving, who had a fantastic rookie season in 2024, missed seven games last season due to a combination of shoulder and foot ailments. Those injuries led to a sharp decline in Irving's production. As a rookie, Irving exploded for 1,122 rushing yard and eight touchdowns. His numbers dropped to 588 yards and only one TD in 2025. Irving also saw his yards-per-carry fall from 5.4 in 2024 to a paltry 3.4 last season.
With a healthy Irving, Tampa's backfield should be in great shape heading into the upcoming season.
The Bucs brought in free agent RB Kenneth Gainwell to pair with Irving. Gainwell, coming off a fantastic season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, should be a significant upgrade over Rachaad White, who signed with the Washington Commanders. The presence of Gainwell will allow the Bucs to lessen Irving's workload and help keep him healthy and fresh throughout the season.
Sean Tucker should also see a quality amount of snaps after making the most of his opportunities last year while Irving was hurt.
Having Irving operate at full speed should to wonders for the Bucs' offense in 2026. Tampa's offense fell off a cliff in the second half of 2025. Much of that was due to the injuries to Irving and Mike Evans, but it cost the Bucs the division nonetheless.
Irving appeared to be on a quick path to superstardom after his rookie campaign. If he can make it through the 2026 season unscathed, Irving should have plenty of success, as well as th Bucs.
Irving has the talent to join the likes of Jahmyr Gibbs, Bijan Robinson, and Saquon Barkley in the top tier of running backs in the NFC. Irving returning to health is fantastic news for the Bucs, as they will need him at the top of his game to make up for losing Mike Evans to free agency.
If their star RB can play as he did in 2024, and WR Emeka Egbuka makes a second-year leap, the sky is the limit for what the Bucs offense can accomplish this season.
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