HEADLINES

Sean Tucker

Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving Out For Week 6, Potentially Longer

October 11th, 2025 at 11:32am CST by Nikhil Mehta

Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving was ruled out for Week 6, per ESPN’s Jenna Laine. According to her colleague Dan Graziano, Irving may be at risk of missing Week 7 as well.

The second-year running back did not play in Tampa Bay’s last game due to a foot sprain and a shoulder injury that was later revealed to be a subluxation, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Both injuries are expected to heal in two to three weeks, per FOX Sports’ Rick Stroud.

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said (via FOX Sports’ Greg Auman) on Wednesday that Irving is “getting better by the day,” but did not set any expectations for a speedy return. He will likely need to return to practice next week to have a shot at playing in the team’s next game.

Tampa Bay will be more than comfortable turning to Rachaad White and Sean Tucker in the meantime. White has not turned out to be an especially dynamic rusher, but he is among the best pass-catching backs in the league. Tucker flashed with 308 yards on 50 carries (6.2 yards per carry) in 2024 but has just four attempts so far this year. Both should see plenty of touches as long as Irving is out. He was only averaging 3.3 yards per attempt when healthy, so White and Tucker could make strong arguments for their involvement for the rest of the year.

Undrafted rookie running back Josh Williams could have seen his first offensive touches in Irving’s absence, but he entered concussion protocol after Thursday’s practice and was also ruled out for Sunday’s game.

The Buccaneers are dealing with a number of other injuries at other positions. Pro Bowl wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans were ruled out, as were cornerbacks Zyon McCollum and Benjamin Morrison. Bowles said (via team writer Scott Smith) that McCollum played through a thumb injury in Week 5 and had a minor procedure this week. He was seen by Auman sporting a cast and a sling at practice. Morrison has not played since Week 3 due to a hamstring injury and may not be close to returning.

The secondary will have veteran Jamel Dean back in Week 6 after a one-game absence due to a hip injury. He was taken off the injury report entirely and should be full-go on Sunday.

Buccaneers Announce 19-Man UDFA Class

May 14th, 2023 at 8:58pm CST by Ely Allen

After selecting eight rookies in the 2023 draft, the Buccaneers added 19 undrafted rookie free agents. Here is the list:

Brown was an absolute animal for the Division-II Rams this season, piling up 1,864 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns as well as 589 receiving yards for five touchdowns on 56 receptions. He and Tucker, who scored 23 rushing touchdowns in the last two years for the Orange, are the only rookie additions to a Tampa Bay running backs room that’s looking for someone to take over.

With only six receivers on the roster following the draft, the Buccaneers added several here. Miller caught 12 touchdowns last year for the Paladins as an FCS All-American. Warner is the son of Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner.

On the offensive line, Haggard and O’Neal join as true left tackles with each starting over 20 games at their respective institutions. Dzansi provides some unique versatility having played all the guard and tackle spots on both the left and right sides of the ball for the Hokies. Murray provides some versatility, as well, having experience at both guard and center.

Banks provides some young depth at inside linebacker after having led the Volunteer defense in tackles last season. Bouyer-Randle and Mbanasor, both former Texas Tech transfers, provide some well-rounded depth at the outside linebacker spots. At safety, Merriweather was a second-team All-American after a stellar senior year with the Hawkeyes.

The Buccaneers also added some potential competition for long snapper Zach Triner, the team’s starter at the position for the past four years. Deckers served as the Blue Devils long snapper as a grad transfer after four years at UMass. He’ll battle with Triner for a starting job this summer.