There were plenty of questions surrounding Bucky Irving entering the 2026 season after injuries slowed him down for much of last year. His Week 1 performance against the Cincinnati Bengals offered a much better look at the running back the Buccaneers became accustomed to seeing during his rookie season. Irving finished with 93 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown despite getting just eight carries. He rushed for 45 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per attempt, while catching all seven of his targets for another 48 yards. His seven receptions tied a career high, and he led Tampa Bay in total yards from scrimmage.
The quickness and change of direction that made Irving so difficult to tackle as a rookie were back. Irving was making the sharp jump cuts
that weren't always there last season as he battled foot and shoulder injuries, and he consistently made the first defender work to bring him down. His best run came on a 10-yard touchdown in the second quarter, but his afternoon wasn't without a mistake. Irving lost a fumble after a reception in the first half, becoming part of a stretch where Tampa Bay turned the ball over on three consecutive possessions. Cincinnati turned those mistakes into touchdowns and quickly put the Bucs in a difficult position.
One of the more interesting parts of his usage came in the passing game. Kenneth Gainwell was expected to provide the Bucs with another receiving option out of the backfield, but Irving was clearly the preferred target in Week 1. Gainwell caught his only target for three yards, while Irving was targeted seven times and caught every pass thrown his way. That could be significant for how Zac Robinson plans to use the backfield moving forward. Irving already showed during his first two seasons that he can contribute as a receiver, but Week 1 suggested Tampa Bay isn't planning to automatically turn to Gainwell when it wants to throw to a running back. The Bucs would certainly like to get Irving more than eight carries in most games, with the early deficit and turnovers changing how the offense had to operate Sunday. Still, he turned 15 touches into 93 yards and looked much closer to the explosive player Tampa Bay saw as a rookie.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Bucky Irving looks healthy in opener
