TL;DR
- Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back, returns after several months due to injury.
- Irving discusses the psychological impact of his first significant injury.
- He is expected to play against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13.
- His snap count may be limited due to his absence and other running backs' performance.
The NFL giveth and it taketh away, and for Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving, football was taken from him for several months.
This marked the first instance of Bucky encountering such injuries, as he hadn't been on the field since Week 4, making it an unfamiliar situation for the running back.
Having now completed practices and prepared for His Week 13 comeback against the Arizona Cardinals, Irving discussed the psychological impact his injuries had on him.
“It's tough,” Irving said. “Your first time being hurt, when I step on that field, I don't take this game for granted. I love what I do every day. I love my teammates, and when I go out there, I play, and I show them that each and every time that I get the ball, I'm trying to make plays for this organization, this team to win football games. Everything was all right because I had the right people around me.”
More: Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield reveals 'double-edged sword' message over Week 13 status
Irving is slated to return for the game against the Cardinals.
After a couple of weeks of "will he or won't he," Irving was a full participant at practice on Wednesday, which all but confirms his status for Week 13.
He's finally back.
It's uncertain if he'll be on a pitch count due to the significant amount of football he's missed, but that seems like the prudent approach to prevent him from sustaining another injury.
With Sean Tucker and Rachaad White also on the roster as running backs, the duo performed admirably during Bucky's absence, suggesting Irving might be on a limited snap count this Sunday.
Buccaneers supporters experienced a lengthy period of anticipation, but their premier offensive asset has returned, and the impact on the offense will be substantial.
But we just aren't sure how much of Bucky we'll see on Sunday, though.
More Buccaneers news:
- What happened to Desmond Watson? Recent news on Buccaneers' 464-pound DT flew under the radar
- Fans are wondering about Shilo Sanders' whereabouts, as the absence of fresh NFL team news for Shedeur's brother has them anticipating an update.
- Bucky Irving fantasy advice after grim Week 13 workload update from Buccaneers OC
- Buccaneers provide unclear injury status for Baker Mayfield as Teddy Bridgewater's quarterback decision approaches