The fantasy football hype was palpable for Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving going into 2025.
Irving was coming off a huge 2024 season in which he tallied over 1,500 scrimmage yards, including 1,122 on the ground, and eight touchdowns.
However, the hype turned into disappointment, as Irving played in just 10 games due to injury and didn't do much when he was on the field.
Looking ahead to 2026, Irving looks set to be in what can only be considered a messy situation for fantasy football players.
The Bucs added Kenneth Gainwell in free agency, and he was the bane of Jaylen Warren owners' existences in 2025 during what was a breakout year for him. The Pittsburgh Steelers team MVP posted over 1,000 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns in his best season as a pro.
“Obviously, we’re missing (Irving) right now, but once he gets out there, I think it’s going to be great to see him and Kenny go hand in hand,” Robinson said, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
Now, as Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson basically told us, Gainwell is going to be that guy for Irving owners in 2026.
“Shoot, one guy might get this amount the next week. They might end up balanced, feeling the hot hand, and we’ll see where it goes," Robinson said.
This points to a shared backfield, which is kind of what we expected anyway with Gainwell making $7 million per year on his free-agent deal.
That said, it's still terrible news and will make Tampa Bay's backfield a nightmare all season long.
Irving is recovering from injury at the moment, but general manager Jason Licht said he expects the running back to be ready by training camp.
To make us want to avoid the Bucs' backfield even more, Stroud labeled the team's situation as a "committee," although he did note that Irving "is still chairman."
Even still, this situation concerns us, especially when you consider that the Bucs brought back Sean Tucker, who scored seven touchdowns last season.
If you thought you were frustrated with Irving last season, things might get even worse in 2026.
More NFL News