Things were already trending in the wrong direction for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when it comes to the health of star running back Bucky Irving. Despite unfounded hope that he’d play against Seattle, he’s been in a boot all week and has yet to practice — all things that suggest the worst in terms of his status against Seattle.
Those vibes continue to get worse before they get any better.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said the quiet part out loud about Bucky’s status for Sunday but it’s the other part of his update that is truly worrisome. Not only will the Bucs be without Irving against the Seahawks, but it seems likely he will be out again the following week against San Francisco.
Bucs RB Bucky Irving (foot) is expected to miss Sunday’s game vs. Seahawks and is in danger of missing next week vs. 49ers, per source.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 3, 2025
Rookie Josh Williams figures to be active this week as a third back in Irving’s absence. pic.twitter.com/TUTUsnCfUE
That’s the last thing anyone wanted to hear. It was bad enough likely being without Bucky for this Sunday’s game but to hear that he might miss multiple weeks is yet another reminder of how thin the roster is.
Buccaneers lose Bucky Irving at the worst time imaginable
Mike Evans and Luke Goedeke are already out indefinitely and the Bucs have placed key players like Calijah Kancey and Cody Mauch on season-ending IR. The locker room is more of a MASH unit than a football roster at this point, with injury designations on Benjamin Morrison, Jamel Dean, and even Baker Mayfield as well.
Somehow, despite it all, the Bucs head to Seattle 3-1 and in control of the NFC South. How long that lasts without key players in the fold is yet to be seen but this team has proven to be resilient in the past and will nee more of the mojo now.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Bucs, though. After a trip to Seattle they head back home for a tough game against a tough 49ers team and then head to Detroit for a Monday Night Football showdown with the first place Lions.
Given how much the 49ers have been surging, not having Bucky is Ben less ideal than it already would have been. That being said, the Niners are in a similar position to the Bucs in that almost all of their key players are hurt yet they keep on winning.
Tampa Bay is being tested, and once again face the possibility of slipping into a midseason coma for the third straight year. What we learn about this team over the next few weeks will say a lot about how the rest of the season will go, and how well positioned they’ll be to make a run when everyone comes back healthy.
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