The countdown to the Bucs’ 2026 season is on. Proper now, we’re:
88 days away from Bucs common season kickoff58 days away from Bucs preseason kickoff42 days away from Bucs coaching camp
Within the leadup to coaching camp, Pewter Report’s Bailey Adams can be diving into storylines for 26 key figures who can be essential to the Bucs’ success in 2026.
At the moment, the sequence continues with operating again Bucky Irving.
26 For ’26: Bucky Irving Bucs Storylines In 2026
Can Bucky Irving Make It Via The Season With out Damage Points?
Well being has been the massive storyline surrounding Irving as of late. That was the case in 2025, and that’s been the case into the 2026 offseason, too. A foot harm value him six video games final season, after which a shoulder harm value him one other. He was restricted to 10 video games in his second NFL season after enjoying all 17 in his breakout rookie marketing campaign.
That shoulder harm wound up being vital sufficient for the younger operating again to endure offseason surgical procedure, which he nonetheless finds himself recovering from because the Bucs work their means by the OTA and mini-camp elements of the offseason program. Irving missed most of OTAs earlier than returning in a restricted capability throughout the ultimate OTA apply on June 11. He went by warmups with the group for the primary time this offseason and took half in particular person drills earlier than watching the total 11-on-11 durations.
When the Bucs acquired mini-camp underway Tuesday morning, Irving adopted the identical process. He warmed up with the group, took some handoffs and caught a number of passes from quarterback Baker Mayfield earlier than sitting out the total group durations. That can presumably be the case all through all of mini-camp, however the expectation is that the third-year again can be good to go for coaching camp over the last week of July.
So, why present all of that background? As a result of one of many predominant storylines for Irving as soon as the 2026 season begins can be whether or not he could make it by the season with out the harm bug biting. Will Tampa Bay get a full 17 video games out of its high operating again? Will it’s extra like 14 or 15? Or will the harm points grow to be a troubling pattern after that absolutely wholesome rookie season?
Bucs RB Bucky Irving – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
There’s strong depth within the backfield for this Bucs group, however they definitely need the perfect and healthiest Bucky Irving for as a lot of the season as doable. Can he tackle a starter’s workload and survive the season? At 5-foot-10, 195 kilos, he’s clearly a smaller again. However he’s confirmed he can deal with the grind of a 17-game season as soon as already. The hope is that he’ll try this once more in 2026, placing the foot and shoulder issues behind him for good.
Will The Bucs Get Extra Of 2024 Bucky Irving – Or The 2025 Model?
The NFL may be very a lot a “what have you done for me lately?” league, and particularly today, recollections may be quick. So, it could be straightforward to neglect simply how electrical Irving was as a rookie in 2024. He carried the ball 207 instances for 1,122 yards (5.4 avg.) and eight touchdowns whereas catching 47 of his 52 targets for 392 yards (8.3 avg.) on his technique to a sixth place end in Offensive Rookie of the 12 months voting.
Irving was the primary Buccaneer to hurry for 1,000 yards in a season since Doug Martin did it in 2015, and he was the primary Tampa Bay rookie to surpass the 1,000-yard dashing mark since Martin did it in 2012. His 1,122 dashing yards had been the third-most by a rookie in franchise historical past. With three 100-yard dashing video games down the stretch, he helped the Bucs make a late push to win 10 video games and seize the NFC South title for the fourth straight yr.
Bucs RB Bucky Irving – Photograph by: USA At the moment
Sadly for Irving, the 2025 season was a unique story. Along with lacking seven video games, he was held to 588 yards on 173 carries (3.4 avg.) and only one landing on the bottom. He did catch 30 of his 35 targets for 277 yards (9.2 avg.) and three extra touchdowns, nevertheless it was a far cry from that massively profitable rookie season. His yards per carry common dropped from 5.4 yards to three.4 yards from 2024 to 2025. He went from three 100-yard video games to zero. And he was held beneath 4 yards per carry in eight of his 10 video games after crossing that threshold 13 instances in 17 video games as a rookie.
So not solely was Irving much less obtainable in 2025 than he was in 2024, however he was additionally much less efficient. A part of that might’ve been chalked as much as a unique offensive scheme beneath Josh Grizzard versus the one Liam Coen ran in 2024. And maybe a bigger a part of it was the well being (or lack thereof) of the group’s offensive line. Tristan Wirfs, Ben Bredeson, Cody Mauch and Luke Goedeke all missed time in 2025, and the O-line, the offense, the run recreation and the Bucs as an entire suffered consequently.
That’s the place you’d prefer to assume Tampa Bay will get extra of the 2024 model of Irving than the 2025 one. New offensive coordinator Zac Robinson has an amazing thoughts for the run recreation and can run a few of the appears to be like that Coen ran when Irving was so profitable two years in the past. To not point out, Robinson acquired a lot out of Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier throughout his time in Atlanta, and now he’ll look to do the identical with Irving and the Buccaneer backfield.
Mix that with an offensive line that must be again to full energy, and Irving is ready up for a return to type in 2026.
How Will The Bucs Handle Bucky Irving’s Workload In 2026?
Along with his well being, effectiveness and the state of the Bucs’ backfield all taken into consideration, what’s going to Irving’s workload appear like in his third season as a Buc? That’s one other level of intrigue because the 2024 fourth-round choose leads a barely rebuilt operating again room in 2026.
Irving is the No. 1 man for Tampa Bay heading into 2026, nevertheless it’s been made fairly clear that the group has a 1A/1B scenario on its palms somewhat than a definitive 1-2 punch prefer it had within the latter a part of the 2024 season and for a lot of the 2025 season (not less than when Irving was wholesome). Kenny Gainwell is on the town now because the 1B to Irving’s 1A, and the veteran is changing Rachaad White after he left in free company to signal with the Commanders.
Bucs RB Bucky Irving – Photograph by: USA At the moment
Will the Bucs be cognizant of Irving’s touches in an effort to maximise him, hold him contemporary and shield his physique from taking an excessive amount of of a beating, the kind that comes with 20-25 carries per recreation? Will offensive coordinator Zac Robinson trip the new hand, even when which means going with Gainwell over Irving in some circumstances? How a lot will Sean Tucker minimize into the backfield’s snap share? How a lot Pony bundle will Robinson run? These are all questions that may solely be answered as the primary few (or a number of) weeks of the season unfold.
In Irving’s rookie season, he ran 207 instances. He crossed over 20 carries in a recreation solely twice over 17 contests, although he did function the No. 2 behind White for lots of the season till getting sizzling and taking on the majority of snaps and carries in a while. For comparability’s sake, White ran simply 144 instances. A yr in the past, Irving ran 173 instances regardless of lacking seven video games. Within the 10 video games he performed, he surpassed 20 carries in a recreation twice and had 19 in one other. White completed the yr with 132 carries, and Tucker had one other 86.
So, what does this all appear like for Irving and the Bucs’ backfield in 2026? It’ll be fascinating to look at how Robinson deploys his operating backs. Is much less extra for Bucky Irving? With Gainwell within the combine – and particularly contemplating the truth that he’s right here on a $7 million-per-year contract – maybe that’ll be the case.
Catch Up On Earlier Installments Of Bailey Adams’ 26 For ’26 Collection
Baker Mayfield
