Bucky Irving: Everything you need to know

Irving could face increased competition for touches, as NFL reporter Jordan Schultz reports Monday that Kenneth Gainwell is signing a two-year, $14 million contract with the Buccaneers. Irving missed seven games due to foot and shoulder injuries in 2025, and he ceded touches to Sean Tucker and Rachaad White after returning. While Irving ultimately led the Buccaneers with 173 rushing attempts, he scored only one rushing touchdown compared to White's four on 132 carries and Tucker's seven on 86 carries. White and Tucker are both free agents, but the addition of Gainwell suggests Irving could be ticketed for less of a workhorse role in 2026, as Gainwell racked up 1,023 yards from scrimmage and eight total touchdowns on 114 carries and 85 targets in the 2025 regular season with the Steelers.

Irving rushed 26 times for 85 yards and brought in one of two targets for 13 yards in the Buccaneers' 16-14 win over the Panthers on Saturday. Irving proved capable of handling a true workhorse role, logging a new career high in rush attempts. As his final implies, the Panthers made the second-year back work hard for his yards, but Irving was able to move the chains on five occasions, certainly a critical stat in what turned out to be a narrow win. Irving finishes his injury-hampered regular season with 588 rushing yards at just 3.4 yards per carry, but he'll have a chance for better production in the wild-card round next weekend if the Saints can upend or tie the Falcons on Sunday.

Irving rushed nine times for 19 yards and brought in five of six targets for 14 yards in the Buccaneers' 20-17 loss to the Dolphins on Sunday. Irving was surprisingly stonewalled on the ground by a typically vulnerable Dolphins defense, and although he made solid contributions from a PPR perspective with his five catches, they went for minimal yardage. Irving had rushed for at least 55 yards in each of his first four games back from a long absence due to shoulder and foot injuries, so Sunday's downturn was particularly drastic and ill-timed for fantasy managers rolling with him in their playoff contests. Irving will look to atone in a critical Week 18 home matchup against the Panthers, a game that will decide the NFC South champion, as well as whether the Bucs make the postseason altogether.