By james art Tampa Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin will not play in Week 8 against the Atlanta Falcons. It would probably take a miracle to get co-star Mike Evans to play. The question now is whether the Buccaneers will also be without rookie Bucky Irving.
For the second straight day, Irving did not practice Thursday. He also sat out Wednesday’s practice with a toe injury.
With Irving missing yet another practice, there seems to be growing concern that he won’t dress against the Falcons on Sunday.
Bucky Irving is out of practice for the Bucs today, so the toe injury could definitely affect Sunday’s game against the Falcons. Rachaad White and Sean Tucker are still healthy, but the three-headed monster may not be fully active this week.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) October 24, 2024
As Greg Auman of FOX Sports noted, the Buccaneers do have two other capable running backs in Rachaad White and Sean Tucker. White finished just shy of 1,000 yards rushing a year ago with 990 yards on the ground. White also had 64 catches for 549 yards in 2023, giving him 1,539 yards from scrimmage.
But White is not a very efficient runner. He averaged 3.6 yards per carry last season and is averaging 3.7 yards per punt in 2024.
In his first seven NFL games, Irving is averaging 5.2 yards per punt. Tucker was also extremely efficient with 8.2 yards per carry this season – his second with the Buccaneers. But Tucker had a small sample size with just 21 carries in seven games in 2024. Of those 21 carries, 14 of them came against the New Orleans Saints, with Tucker rushing for 136 yards and a touchdown.
If Irving is unable to play in Week 8, however, White and Tucker will be in line for more snaps and touches.
Irving was one of four Buccaneers who did not practice at all on Wednesday. Two of the other players, Evans and Tyky Smith, also did not practice Thursday. Evans is dealing with a hamstring injury that is expected to keep him out for several more weeks. Smith is recovering from a concussion.
Tight end Paine Durham also did not train on Wednesday but returned in limited form on Thursday.
Friday’s injury report for Tampa Bay will provide more specific information on Irving and the Buccaneers’ other ailing players. But as the trend is, it wouldn’t be surprising if the rookie doesn’t face the Falcons in Week 8.
Irving leads the Buccaneers with 351 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns this season.