Bucs’ Todd Bowles provides a clear update on where Bucky Irving stands for Sunday night and beyond
The Bucs won’t have their star back on Sunday, but the wait won’t be much longer.
There has been a lot of speculation this week about whether Bucky Irving will be back this week or even at all this season. There has been scuttlebutt on the internet and among some talking heads musing about his health and time frame to return, and the truth of it all has been as clear as Mississippi River mud.
But on Friday after practice, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles provided an update on Irving’s status that solidifies where he’s at in his recovery process, and it sounds like it is a lot more optimistic than some had pegged.
Todd Bowles says Bucky Irving is out for Sunday vs. Rams, but he is ‘trending up’ for next Sunday against the Cardinals
“He’s not going through much off the field,” Bowles said. “He got hurt. He didn’t handle it well because he’d been hurt for the first time. He had a full practice this week. He’ll definitely be trending up for playing next week. So, we’re just preparing him for the Arizona game. That’s what we were getting him ready for, and that’s what he’ll be ready for.”
Irving has been on the shelf after the Bucs’ 31-25 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles back in late September, as he’s been dealing with shoulder and foot injuries. While Irving was spotted the next week ahead of the Bucs’ matchup with Seattle on crutches, it was later revealed that the real issue that’s worse is a shoulder that he apparently can’t take contact on, which is obviously pretty important for a running back to be able to do. While he’s been back on the practice field and logging limited appearances, Bowles previously mentioned that it’s been a gradual process that Irving has to follow to get back onto the field, and taking contact in practice is one of those steps.
The Bucs’ offense has been stuck in the mud to some degree since an explosive September, and injuries have obviously been a big part of that. With Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Irving out with injury, in addition to offensive line losses for the season’s first two months, that takes a toll on generating explosive plays.
But there is an end in sight for at least Irving, and with Tampa Bay holding just a half game lead in the NFC South and facing a daunting opponent on Sunday night in the Los Angeles Rams, his return can’t come soon enough.
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