Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (7) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons during the third quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still missing a key member of their crew.

Bucky Irving's status remains a mystery, leaving him among multiple star players on the sidelines as the season continues for Tampa. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin also remain out, decimating the Buccaneers' offense.

The running back's timeline for a return remains fuzzier than ever, as head coach Todd Bowles remains coy about his status. His team has held on admirably without those key pieces, but the injuries appear to be catching up to Tampa now – dropping two of their last three.

Luckily for the Bucs, they remain in the driver's seat atop the NFC South. However, that won't mean much if they can't get some of these pieces back.

Irving would be a good place to start. Here's the latest on his status.

When will Bucky Irving return?

Irving does not have a timetable for his return.

While updates on the Buccaneers running back have been hard to come by, Bowles did share some additional news during his press conference on Nov. 10.

Bowles told reporters that the shoulder issue is the injury holding him back at this point. When asked if he had any hope of Irving returning soon, Bowles said, "Hopefully, we'll see if he can take a hit."

Irving has been sidelined since Week 5 with foot and shoulder injuries. He was spotted wearing a walking boot that week and hasn't practiced since.

There was some optimism surrounding Irving's potential return when Tampa came back from its bye week. However, he was ultimately ruled out and didn't practice either.

The Bucs never placed Irving on injured reserve, which would've knocked him out for at least four games. He has now missed five consecutive games, with the chance for a sixth against the Buffalo Bills in Week 11.

Tampa will release its initial injury report on Nov. 12, the first official Irving update of the week. The second-year running back has been a key contributor for Tampa since arriving.

The former Oregon Duck rushed for 1,122 yards in his rookie season, playing in all 17 games.

He hasn't been as effective as a runner in his second season, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry compared to 5.4 in 2024. However, Irving made up for it in the passing game, bringing his receiving total from 23.1 yards per game last year to 48.3 this season.

If nothing else, the Buccaneers' offense remains one of the league's more explosive units, even without operating at full strength.

Buccaneers RB depth chart

Here's a look at who the Buccaneers will have at RB without Irving on Sunday:

  • Bucky Irving (injured)
  • Rachaad White
  • Sean Tucker
  • Josh Williams

White is no stranger to the starting role in Tampa's offense. He famously held that spot before Irving was drafted in 2024 and remains a dual threat in the offense.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When will Bucky Irving return? Injury update, timeline for Bucs RB

Reporting by Nick Brinkerhoff, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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