Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving suffered an injury in the club’s Week 13 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Here’s the latest from Sunday’s game.
What Happened to Bucky Irving?
Irving was spotted limping off the field at the end of the first half. He last touched the ball with 4:23 remaining in the second quarter, when he gained one yard on a 1st-and-goal carry from Carolina’s 1-yard line.
At the start of the second half, the Buccaneers announced that Irving was battling a hip injury.
Irving was not listed on Tampa Bay’s injury report heading into Week 13. He was included in previous weeks while dealing with a toe issue, but the fourth-round rookie fully practiced despite his injury status.
Irving had played fewer snaps than fellow Bucs RB Rachaad White entering Sunday’s game (383 vs. 300), but the first-year player had been more productive, leading Tampa Bay with 5.4 yards per carry and five rushing touchdowns.
Did Irving Return in Week 13?
The Buccaneers listed Irving as questionable to return due to his knee injury. Meanwhile, Irving told FOX’s broadcast that he expected to push through his injury to play in the second half.
Irving returned to the game and had the best performance of his young NFL career, finishing with 25 carries for 152 yards and a touchdown while also contributing three catches for 33 yards. Clearly, he wasn’t limited too much, as he continued torching the Panthers on the ground.
After the game, Irving’s hip was wrapped in ice.
The star of the night, Bucky Irving walks to the locker room with his hip wrapped up with ice.
“Shoulda put they ass away” pic.twitter.com/TXUIpBZJux
— Cam Gaskins (@CamGaskinsTV) December 2, 2024
Keep an eye on the Bucs’ injury report and Irving’s practice participation over the next week to make sure he’s good to go for Week 14 against the Las Vegas Raiders. But the fact that he was able to play through the injury and produce at such a high level is a good sign.
Fantasy Implications of Irving’s Injury
Tampa Bay’s backfield has talent, but touch distribution has been the tough part to nail down. White isn’t an efficient runner, but his versatility alone would vault him into the RB2 tier weekly should the impressive rookie miss time.
Sean Tucker would be the name to know for deeper leagues, but his role doesn’t profile as useful in the vast majority of formats.
— PFN Analyst Kyle Soppe