Bucky Irving injury update from Buccaneers finally sheds light on RB's situation

Staff Writer

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been pretty mum about the status of running back Bucky Irving, who has missed several games due to toe and shoulder injuries.

However, on Monday, head coach Todd Bowles finally addressed the situation with his starting running back and revealed what reports have suggested: that Irving's biggest issue is his shoulder.

Bowles went on to add that Irving has to be able to prove he can take a hit to his injured shoulder before returning to the field, although The Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud notes that it doesn't look like Tampa Bay will test that out this week.

"Todd Bowles says it’s a shoulder injury that’s keeping Bucky Irving out. He has to be able to take a hit and it doesn’t look like they plan to test it this week," Stroud reported.

Irving has not played or practiced since Week 4 and it now looks like he'll miss at least one more game. We'll get our next update on Irving on Wednesday, when the Bucs release their first injury report.

It goes without saying that Irving's return is crucial, as the team is also without wide receivers Mike Evans (clavicle, IR) and Chris Godwin (fibula).

Evans isn't expected back until mid-December, at the earliest, while Godwin could be out until late-November, early-December, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported.

With Irving sidelined, the Buccaneers first deployed Rachaad White as the lead back, but Sean Tucker has been getting more work in recent weeks as White has proven mostly ineffective.

The Bucs should be able to weather the storm and make the playoffs without their best offensive players given the sad state of the NFC South. But the Bucs won't have any shot of making noise in the playoffs without them.

Bucky Irving injury update from Buccaneers finally sheds light on RB's situation

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