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If you look at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers depth chart, it will still tell you that Rachaad White is the team’s first string running back.
By any other metric, White and rookie running back Bucky Irving have been interchangeable 1A and 1B options at the position for the entire season — and it’s Irving who leads the Buccaneers with 580 rushing yards.
That’s why it came as such a shock when Irving went down with a hip injury in a Week 13 game against the Carolina Panthers while inexplicably returning a kickoff.
While Irving had to leave the game but eventually returned, it once again brought the decision-making process of Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles into question in regards to putting his star players in positions where they’re at an unnecessary risk.
In a Week 7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, leading wide receiver Chris Godwin suffered a gruesome, season-ending injury when he dislocated his ankle late in a blowout loss.
Irving’s injury in Week 13, although not as severe as Godwin’s, still left football pundits wondering why any NFL team would have such a valuable player risk injury returning kickoffs.
Irving went on to rush for 152 yards and 1 touchdown on 25 carries to go with 3 receptions for 33 yards in the 26-23 overtime win over the Panthers.
“Bucky Irving should’ve no longer been returning kickoffs,” wrote the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud on his official X account. “He’s their top RB. He shouldn’t be near special teams. RB1 doesn’t play special teams.”
‘Never Change Todd Bowles’
Social media was quick to react to Bowles’ and his coaching staff’s decision to have Irving returning kicks. They ranged from the sarcastic:
“Bucky Irving got hurt returning a kickoff from 5 yards deep in the endzone with 5 seconds left in the half,” wrote DraftKings’ Matt Smith on X. “Never change Todd Bowles.”
To the borderline angry:
“Hate to keep talking about how (expletive) our coaching is,” wrote “Fully Loaded” podcast host JC Cornell on X. “But why the hell is your best RB still returning kicks. Bucky Irving has no business getting hurt on a kick return.”
To the downright hilarious:
“Because when Todd Bowles said that Bucky Irving deserved more touches, he was talking about Irving’s contributions returning meaningless kicks,” wrote Footballguys Fantasy Football’s Sam Wagman on X.
Irving Called One of ‘Biggest Steals’ of ’24 Draft
Irving is having the type of season that should land him on the PFWAA All-Rookie Team after the season is over — and might lead the Bucs to try and find a trade destination for White in the offseason.
The 33rd Team’s Jeff Diamond called Irving, a fourth round pick out of Oregon, one of the “Biggest Steals” of the 2024 NFL draft ahead of Week 13.
“Irving is a definite steal as a fourth-round pick and as the sixth running back taken,” Diamond wrote. “He quickly moved into a role of splitting time and carries with Rachaad White in the Bucs’ backfield. Irving leads all rookie backs with 831 combined yards (579 rushing yards to rank second among rookies and 252 yards on 32 catches). He has scored five touchdowns to help the Bucs remain in contention for the NFC South title or a wild card spot.”
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