Is Bucky Irving Alvin Kamara 2.0?
Every rookie RB that has gotten 1,400+ yards from scrimmage on less than 250 touches since 2000 ⤵️
🏴☠️ Bucky Irving
⚜️ Alvin KamaraEnd of list. https://t.co/rRGbrKyWrU pic.twitter.com/TZuux16nWf
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) December 30, 2024
Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Bucky Irving has gotten off to a strong start to his career. In his first season in the NFL, Irving has joined exclusive company. He and New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara are the only running backs to reach 1,400 scrimmage yards on less than 250 touches as a rookie.
This is a great display of their explosiveness and dual-threat ability. Kamara’s rookie season was only 16 games, so this is a good point to compare stats and usage.
Irving has more overall touches and is used as a runner more frequently than Kamara was as a rookie. On the other hand, Kamara’s receiving production far outweighs the rookie’s.
The ability to do both is what connects the two, and Irving told Bucs media Kamara was “a guy I always looked up to” and noted Kamara’s receiving ability.
To take the connection a step further, Irving revealed Kamara reached out to him in college to tell the young player he liked his game.
Irving is coming off his most total yards in a game last week. This week, the Saints are tasked with trying to stop Irving much better than they did last time. He had his first game with 100-plus scrimmage yards this season against the Saints in Week 6. Will he do it again in Week 18?
