Tampa Bay Buccaneers Bucky Irving Returns From Injury, Nearing Massive NFL Milestone

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Bucky Irving led the Tampa Bay rushing attack with 117 yards in the Buccaneers 40-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. The former Oregon Duck is nearing 1,000 rushing yards in his first season. Tampa Bay has not had a 1,000-yard rusher since Doug Martin in 2015.

Dec 15, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (7) runs past Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Elijah Molden (22) for a first down in the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Former Oregon Ducks running back Bucky Irving and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced off against the Los Angeles Chargers in NFL action on Sunday afternoon.

Irving came into the game nursing a back injury that took him out of the Buccaneers' game against the Las Vegas Raiders. 

How did Irving do in his return to action?

Bucky Irving Has Another 100+ Yard Game in Win

Dec 15, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (7) runs past Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Elijah Molden (22) for a first down in the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Los Angeles Chargers 40-17. Buccaneers rookie running back Bucky Irving had another great game. 

Irving had 15 carries for 117 yards. It was the second most rushing yards of his career. Two weeks ago, Irving had 25 carries for 152 yards and a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers. 

Irving’s biggest play of the game against the Chargers on Sunday was a 54-yard run in the middle of the third quarter. Irving took the ball through the right side of the line, bounced it out right, and took off down the sideline all the way to the Chargers 16-yard line before being pushed out of bounds.

The Chargers had a 17-10 lead before the Buccaneers rattled off 30 unanswered points to finish the game. Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield connected with Mike Evans for two long touchdowns of 57 and 35 yards in the second half to lead the way. 

The Buccaneers win inched them closer to a playoff spot with three weeks remaining. Tampa Bay is now 8-6 and a game and a half above the Atlanta Falcons for first place in the NFC South. The 6-7 Falcons play on Monday night football vs. the Las Vegas Raiders. 

In addition to being on top of the division, the Buccaneers are now putting themselves in a spot where a top three seed in the NFC is a very realistic possibility.

Up next for the Buccaneers in Week 16 is a road game against the 6-8 Dallas Cowboys. 

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Irving Having Best Rookie Running Back Season in 2025

Dec 1, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (7) runs the ball against the Carolina Panthers during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Irving is close to etching his name in Tampa Bay record books. Irving needs only 148 yards over the last three games to reach 1,000 yards in his rookie season. Tampa Bay has not had a 1,000-yard rusher since Doug Martin in 2015.

Bucky Irving was selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Irving came into camp as the backup to running back Rachaad White. As the season has progressed, Irving has been getting more of the work load. 

Irving leads all rookie running backs in total yards with 1,152 and 6 rushing touchdowns. 

It likely won’t be enough to win Offensive Rookie the Year as Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels looks to be the runaway frontrunner for the award with odds of -275. Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is 2nd with odds of +200. 

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