Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Buccaneers Unsung Heroes Earn Credit For Bucky Irving Breakout

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated Jun 17, 2025 12:12 PM ET

Every offseason, there is change to the roster with players retiring or moving to a different team, so rarely is there a position group that remains unchanged.

But for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, that has happened this offseason, and it has happened to perhaps the one position every team wants continuity at - the offensive line.

All five starters, Tristan Wirfs, Ben Bredeson, Graham Barton, Cody Mauch, and Luke Goedeke, all return for Josh Grizzard's offense, and all five played a crucial role in the Buccaneers having 146.5 rushing yards per game, with rookie Bucky Irving having his way with defenses.

But Bucky knows that without those five brutes up front, he doesn't have the success he had last year.

“We got all them guys are returning, but just being able to have trust in them guys, like you always hear when I come up here and say I don't talk about myself, I talk about the O-line,” Irving said. “Because without them guys, none of them things are possible. So just being able to give credit to them guys every chance that I get, I'm going to do that.”

With the Buccaneers seen as a genuine NFC contender, most point to Baker Mayfield's weapons as the reason why, which is fair because he has a ridiculous number of receivers who can do damage.

However, perhaps the most underrated and best weapon is the return of all five of his linemen in 2025.

The chemistry is there, and the connection is there. With Barton coming into Year 2 as the starting center, he will only improve, calling out checks at the line to put the offense in the best possible position for success.

So yes, Mayfield and the Buccaneers have great weapons, one of which is Irving, but don't underestimate what having the same five offensive linemen can do for a team looking to make a serious run at the Super Bowl.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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