An important piece of the Bucs offensive puzzle going into the 2026 season is the return of running back Bucky Irving hopefully regaining his form going into the third year in the league.

After a stellar rookie season in which he made the All-Rookie team, Last season was Irving’s time to shine as the starting running back from day one. However, things took a turn for the worst as foot and shoulder injuries plagued him all season, causing him to miss seven out of a possible 17 games. While he did return for the tail end of the year in Week 13 through 18, Irving did not exactly look like himself. He didn’t record a 100-yard rushing game all season long and had just one touchdown.

Bucky Irving Gives Good News About Bucs Return

In the offseason Irving did have shoulder surgery that required a fair amount of recovery time. It came as a pleasant surprise when Irving was seen on the practice field in a helmet and uniform for the last week of OTAs, followed by the three practices at mandatory mini-camp in June. Irving merely participated in light, individual drills taking handoffs and short passes from Baker Mayfield. He was not involved in any drills that consisted of seven on sevens or a full team go of 11-on-11s.

Bucs RB Bucky Irving – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

So that begs the question of how ready will Irving be at the start of training camp? It’s one thing to participate in some drills, but it’s another to really be in it with the rest of the team when the offense is operating.

During his youth football camp at Blake High School, Irving caught up with Fox 13 anchor Mark Skol Jr. where he confirmed to Skol that Irving is healthy and “believes” he will be good to go for the start of training camp, which begins on July 29th.

Irving also talked about the community event that took place.

“It’s always good giving back to the community,” Irving said. “I was once in these kids shoes before. So being able to give back to them and show what it looks like is always a blessing. Growing up I didn’t really get a chance to be around a NFL player, so to have these kids’ dreams come true is always a blessing.”

Bucs Need A Big Year From Irving

It would be fair to say that everybody returning to the Bucs roster needs a bounce back season this year, but that goes double for Irving. Some rumblings have started that he could be a one-hit wonder with his rookie season, but might not be able to stay upright for the longevity of a season due to his size.

Bucs RB Bucky Irving – Photo by: IMAGN – Bob Donnan

Irving is expected to be the starting running back for Tampa Bay this season with veteran Kenny Gainwell also expected to be involved often. They have been viewed as 1A and 1B by Todd Bowles, so each player can carry the mantle in the running back room if need be.

This opens up more room for creativity for offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, who could feed into more of the pony package that would have Irving and Gainwell in a formation together. While Irving’s previous season was a disappointment, he did show a lot of progress in the receiving game, recording three receiving touchdowns.

Bucs RB Bucky Irving – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

If Irivng can match his rushing abilities from 2024 and his receiving upgrades from 2025, it could make for a spectacular 2026 season. As long as he can stay available, he’ll likely be helping the Bucs win games, beginning with his presence at training camp next week.