Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said Thursday that Irving (toe) may not practice until closer to the end of Week 9 preparations and that he'll likely have to deal with his toe injury all season, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
Irving played this past weekend after logging a DNP-DNP-LP practice pattern, and Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports that a similar ramp-up regimen will likely be employed in advance of Monday's matchup against the Chiefs. It wouldn't ultimately be surprising to see Irving regularly practice in such a capacity throughout the season, given Bowles' comments. During Week 8's loss to the Falcons, Irvin rushed nine times for 44 yards and brought in all seven targets for 40 yards, working as part of a timeshare with Rachaad White. With Mike Evans (hamstring) out for Week 9 and Chris Godwin (ankle) done for the year, both Irving and White could play key roles in the receiving game versus Kansas City.