Bucky Irving “should be ready later this summer” as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who added that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ running back “is not expected to participate in minicamp in a few weeks, but he is likely to be ready at some point during training camp.”
That followed comments from head coach Todd Bowles earlier on Tuesday regarding Irving’s return timeline.
“He’s coming along fine,” he told reporters. “He’s working out. He’s rough. We expect him sometime back in the summer or the fall, and you know, we’ll look forward to him when he gets back.”
Irving, 23, was limited to just 10 games last season due to foot and shoulder injuries, rushing for 588 yards and a touchdown while catching 30 passes for 277 yards and another three scores.
It was a disappointment after his fantastic rookie season in 2024, when he rushed for 1,122 yards and eight scores and caught 47 passes for 392 yards.
Irving is very much expected to be the bellcow in 2026, however. He’ll have a new backfield mate after the Bucs replaced Rachaad White in the offseason with veteran Kenny Gainwell, though Irving will be expected to handle the majority of the touches.
But his health will be a major storyline. Irving is one of the team’s most important playmakers, especially with Mike Evans now in San Francisco. Baker Mayfield will lean heavily on players like Irving, wideouts Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin Jr. and tight end Cade Otton.
A late-summer return for Irving wouldn’t be of major concern to Tampa Bay. If his recovery timeline does extend into the fall and the start of the season, however, it would hardly be ideal.
