BuckyIrving

News: 2 days agoHead coach Todd Bowles said that Irving won't be included on the Buccaneers' Week 4 injury report, despite missing the final two possessions of Sunday's 23-16 loss to the Vikings, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports.

Spin: Bowles didn't specify why Irving was off the field late in Sunday's contest, but any physical issue the running back might have been dealing with doesn't look like it will prevent him from playing Week 4. Despite logging a season-low 51 percent snap share, Irving still earned 17 touches (15 carries, two receptions) and accounted for 58 yards from scrimmage. He remains locked in as the clear No. 1 option out of the backfield over free-agent pickup Kenny Gainwell, who is averaging just 2.1 yards per carry and 3.7 yards per reception through three games.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Irving enters his third season coming off a disappointing 2025 campaign in which he missed seven games and struggled with efficiency. After averaging 5.42 yards per carry and producing 1,514 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie, Irving fell to 3.40 YPC (fourth worst among qualified RBs), 865 yards and four touchdowns in 2025. He failed to clear 4.2 YPC in any of his 10 outings and had zero carries inside the opponent's 5 yard line. The 24-year-old remains positioned as the lead back in Tampa Bay, but the combination of his small frame (5-foot-9, 192 pounds) and the arrival of Kenneth Gainwell (not to mention Sean Tucker at the goal line) suggest he might play a lesser role moving forward. Irving should be valued as a back-end RB2.