Jason Licht Expects Bucky Irving To Be Ready To Play In Two Weeks
June 19th, 2026
Three weeks ago, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said running back Bucky Irving would be ready for a full return from shoulder surgery “in the summer or the fall.”
That freaked out a lot of fans. The “fall?”
Well, Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht told Sports Day Tampa Bay that Bowles was misinterpreted, Irving is very close to being healthy and he’ll be full-go long before training camp kicks off.
“[Bucky Irving is] fine,” Licht said. “In fact, I think if we were playing here in a couple of weeks, he’d be ready to go.”
That should soothe the Bucs faithful. Licht thinks Bucky will be game-ready on July 4; the Bucs open the season on Sunday, Sept. 13, in Cincinnati.
Irving returned to practice (no contact) last week for the first time following his January surgery.