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Bills get concerning injury update on Buccaneers star before Week 11

Buffalo and Tampa Bay face off after both lost their Week 10 games
Khari Demos|
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (7)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (7) | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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In a unique turn of events, the Buffalo Bills may actually see a star from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that they did not expect.

After previous reports indicated that Buccaneers' RB1 Bucky Irving had no timetable for a return to the field, and the potential to miss the Week 11 game versus the Bills, Irving was spotted on the practice field on Wednesday.

The update continues what has been a strange injury situation for Irving. The former Oregon Ducks RB has been sidelined with foot and shoulder injuries since September 28. Although he has missed the last five games for Tampa Bay, he was oddly not placed on the IR.

As several have pointed out, there's still no guarantee that Irving returns to the lineup Sunday. The Bucs have to be encouraged to see their top back back in practice, but it must be noted that Tampa's Wednesday practice was also just a walkthrough session.

MORE: Bills welcome three back to full participation as injury report grows to 14 players

While Bucs' head coach Todd Bowles acknowledged how "good" it was to have the sophomore back on the field again, he noted that he was "limited" on Wednesday and would still need to clear hurdles throughout the week to play in Buffalo.

"We'll see what he does tomorrow and Friday," said Bowles. "That's the first step to him feeling positive and working his way back."

The Bills have to be monitoring this situation with baited breathe. Buffalo has had one of the worst rush defenses in the NFL this season, allowing over 100 rushing yards as a team to all but two opponents thus far. And Irving would present another challenge out of Tampa's backfield, as he totaled 1,514 yards from scrimmage and eight rushing touchdowns as a rookie.

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Irving's status will be interesting to monitor this week. And one that could have a major impact on how the Bills defend the Bucs come Sunday.

Brandon Stephens and Bucky Irving
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (7) and New York Jets cornerback Brandon Stephens (21). | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

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Khari Demos
KHARI DEMOS

Khari Demos is an award-winning sports media creator and is a contributor for Bills On SI. He has written sports betting article covering the NFL for The Athletic and has written pieces about the NBA, MLB, college football and basketball, and more, throughout his career.