Not but two seasons ago, Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting running back Bucky Irving was being touted in fantasy football circles as the next big thing at the position with a robust 1,122 rushing yards and eight touchdowns as an NFL rookie, averaging a whopping 5.4 yards per carry with a success rate above 55 percent as one of the most consistent and electric running backs in the NFL.
A three down threat, Irving's momentum was derailed as a sophomore by multiple injuries, as he stumbled to a yards per carry average well below four. And when he did play, the Bucs offense was totally hamstrung by other key injuries, as Irving's return came with the Buccaneers reeling and ready to collapse from their perch in the NFC South.
Irving thus has a lot to prove in a critical year three for all of him, Baker Mayfield, and the entire Buccaneers offense in their first season without Mike Evans at wide receiver for more than a decade. And after the Buccaneers snagged sleeper free agent running back Kenny Gainwell from the Pittsburgh Steelers, Irving has even more to prove to the organization in 2026.
Bucky Irving snubbed from annual NFL top-10 list
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler did his annual polling of NFL executives, coaches, scouts, and other league personnel as they rank each and every position in the league's top 10 best players. His first position up on the list is the running back spot, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will immediately take umbrage with what those around the league think, as they snubbed Bucky Irving off the top ten entirely.
Worse than all that, Irving did not even make it as an honorable mention. And worse than that, even, not a single person voted for Irving, based on the remarks Fowler made at the bottom of the post. New York Jets running back Breece Hall made it at No. 10, and, to be fair, he is a great running back.
But the lack of an honorable mention or even a vote seems crazy to Buccaneers fans who saw how amazing Irving was in 2024 before the injuries claimed his 2025 season. Cleveland Browns second-year running back Quinshon Judkins got an honorable mention, yet he was not even half as good as Irving was in his own rookie campaign. And that Travis Etienne Jr. and a beyond finished Alvin Kamara got votes over Irving will only add fuel to the fire for the young Buccaneer.
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