As a rookie in the 2024 NFL season, Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving quickly established himself as a franchise player and put himself on a path to being one of the best backs in the league with 1,122 rushing yards and 5.4 yards per carry.
Everything fell apart for Irving last season with two injuries that held him back, and when he returned from them in the second half of the campaign, he just was not the same on that quick of a timeline. Irving finished the season with a meager 3.4 yards per carry, and his touchdowns plummeted from an impressive eight to a solitary one.
If anyone has more reasons for vengeance in the 2026 NFL regular season and even more of a point to prove to the rest of the league than Baker Mayfield, then it is Irving right behind him. Plus, Irving now has Kenny Gainwell as a partner in the backfield, which can also be seen as someone breathing down his neck to improve his performances.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers need Bucky Irving to return to his elite rookie form in 2026
Bucky Irving is already taking things seriously this offseason, and he has added ten pounds to his frame. The goal for Irving is clear this coming season. He needs to be stronger, more durable, and more consistent to carry the load for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense, because as talented as the wide receivers are and as much as the team believes in Mayfield, especially with the added motivation of a contract year, the ground game needs to be solid.
And as much as fans are high on Kenny Gainwell and maybe even Sean Tucker, Bucky is by far the No. 1 back for this organization and someone the Buccaneers need to depend on like they did in 2024 to move the chains, score touchdowns, and carry the rock as the No. 1 feature back.
For Irving, a major key that will help Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers wide receivers, especially young guns Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan, take the top off defenses is being able to smash the ball between the tackles play after play. The Buccaneers have to be able to soften front sevens, pull up the safeties, and then have that space over the top, because that was really missing for Mayfield and Egbuka in the second half of the season to actually generate big plays.
Irving is crucial to the Buccaneers success, and a bigger, faster, and, most importantly, healthier Irving is a winning formula in 2026.
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