For Buccaneers fans and Bucky Irving fantasy managers, 2025 has been an extremely frustrating season.Â
But that is all starting to change.Â
Bucky Irving didnât just return to the field in Week 13, he reclaimed his backfield.Â
After an extended injury absence since Week 4, the Buccaneers wasted no time making it clear who their RB1.Â
Irving had 17 carries for 81 total yards and a touchdown while limiting Rachaad White and Sean Tucker to just four combined rushing attempts.Â
Even more promising, Irving handled 52% of the offensive snaps.
This is a remarkably strong number for a running back coming off an injury that was over two months.Â
That type of immediate usage is the strongest indication yet that Irvingâs role will only grow as Tampa Bay pushes into the final month of the season.Â
For fantasy managers, this was exactly the signal they needed: Bucky is back, and the runway is clear for him to be an RB1.Â
Irvingâs Long Absence Sets Stage for Late-Season Resurgence
After a promising start to the year, he was sidelined for months recovering from a lower-body injury that he suffered in Week 4 against the Eagles .Â
His absence forced the Buccaneers into a committee of necessity, but nothing about that split ever resembled stability or consistency.Â
Both Rachaad White and Sean Tucker had a few good games, but overall Irvingâs absence was heavily felt.Â
Thatâs why his Week 13 return was so impactful.
Backs returning from long layoffs typically get eased in gradually, but the Bucs did the opposite.Â
They handed Irving the keys right away.Â
His 17 carries led the team by a wide margin, and his touchdown showed the staff still trusts him at the goal line.Â
His 52% snap share was also one of the highest rates for any running back in his first game back from a significant injury this season.
Bucsâ Playoff Push Could Drive Irving Back to RB1
The Buccaneers are locked in a tight NFC South race with the Carolina Panthers .Â
They currently have a half game lead over the Panthers and they still play them twice in the last five weeks of the season.Â
Todd Bowles and his staff have shown repeatedly that when games carry weight, they put the ball in the hands of the players they trust most.Â
Bucky Irving is unquestionably one of them as his rookie season showed exactly why.
Irving closed last year on a tear, emerging as one of the leagueâs most efficient young runners down the stretch.Â
In his last six games of 2024, Irving had three games over 110 yards rushing and five games over 65.
He also had three touchdowns and 15 catches in that span.Â
That late-season dominance is a major reason Tampa entered 2025 viewing him as a true foundational piece.Â
Now that he’s back to full speed, the expectation should be that Tampa leans heavily on him again especially with the offense still working through inconsistencies.Â
His usage is trending up, his health is improving, and his coaches show major belief in him.
With all of that said, Irving has a legitimate chance to finish the season as one of the top RBâs in the league.Â
With Irvingâs workload rising, the Week 14 matchup against New Orleans is extremely favorable.
The Saints allow the fifth most rushing yards in the entire NFL to all RBâs this year.Â
The wait for Irvingâs return was long, but it could prove to be worth it.
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