Ominous report surfaces about Bucky Irving

There may be more than meets the eye with Bucky Irving’s lengthy absence.

The injured Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Irving may not be back any time soon, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Thursday on an episode of his podcast. Florio further hinted that non-injury reasons may be behind Irving’s absence.

“I’m not sure Bucky Irving is going to be back this weekend based on something that I heard when we were in Philadelphia,” said Florio. “I’ll tell you off-air what I heard. I want to be careful. It just underscores the very real existence of inside information.

“It’s something that probably shouldn’t be out,” Florio added. “But I don’t think he’s going to be back any time soon. It’s definitely more information than what is available on the injury report.”

Bucky Irving's season hasn't been what anyone envisioned

Irving, the 23-year-old back, rushed for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie for the Buccaneers last season. But when it comes to this season, he has not played at all since Week 4 due to shoulder and foot injuries (despite Tampa Bay not having placed Irving on IR and having already gone on their bye in Week 9).

The former fourth-round pick has since managed to return to practice for the Buccaneers on a limited basis ever since last week. But this report from Florio is now casting doubt on whether Irving will be back on the field at all this season, adding to what has already been a very topsy-turvy year for Tampa Bay overall.