Bruce Irvin
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Bruce Pernell Irvin Jr. (born November 1, 1987) is an American professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...
. He played
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
West Virginia Mountaineers The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams that represent West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. The Mountaineers have been a membe ...
and was selected by the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
in the first round with the 15th overall pick of the
2012 NFL draft The 2012 NFL draft was the 77th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players for their rosters. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held ...
. Irvin won
Super Bowl XLVIII Super Bowl XLVIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2013 Denver Broncos season, Denver Broncos and National Football Conference (NFC) champion 2013 Seattle Seahawks season, Seattle Seahawks to ...
over the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
, and also played in
Super Bowl XLIX Super Bowl XLIX was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2014 NFL season, 2014 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2014 New England Patriots season, New Eng ...
where he became the first player ever to be ejected from a
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
.


Early life

Irvin attended Stockbridge High School in
Stockbridge, Georgia Stockbridge is a city in Henry County, Georgia, Henry County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. As of 2020, its population was 28,973. Stockbridge is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. History The area was settled in 1829 when C ...
, until transferring to Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain, Georgia right before his junior year. He dropped out of high school during the middle of his junior year and instead attained his
GED Ged or GED may refer to: Places * Ged, Louisiana, an unincorporated community in the United States * Ged, a village in Bichiwara Tehsil, Dungarpur District, Rajasthan, India * Delaware Coastal Airport, in Delaware, US, callsign GED People * Ged B ...
.


College career

Irvin attended Butler Community College before transferring to Mt. San Antonio College. While at Mt. San Antonio, Irvin had 72 tackles, 16 sacks, three forced
fumbles A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful ...
and a
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
on a fumble recovery. He was named a JC Athletic Bureau first team
All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
and was the all-California Region III player of the year. Irvin transferred to
West Virginia University West Virginia University (WVU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Ins ...
(WVU) in 2010. He finished the season second in the nation in sacks with 14. He was a second team all-
Big East The Big East Conference (stylized as BIG EAST) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Division I, Division I in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports. H ...
selection and an honorable mention All-American by SI.com. Irvin returned to WVU after turning professional, earning his
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
in 2018.


Professional career


Pre-draft

Irvin was one of 58 collegiate defensive linemen to attend the
NFL Scouting Combine The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Foot ...
in
Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
. He attended as a defensive end and completed all of the required combine drills. His time of 4.50s in the 40-yard dash was the fastest among all defensive linemen. Irvin opted to have another attempt at the 40-yard dash and surprised many scouts and analysts by running a 4.43s. On March 14, 2012, Irvin was arrested for destruction of property after allegedly tearing a magnetic sign off of a
Jimmy John's Jimmy John's Franchise, LLC, commonly referred to as Jimmy John's, is an American multinational sandwich chain, headquartered in Champaign, Illinois. The business was founded by Jimmy John Liautaud in 1983. After Liautaud graduated from high sch ...
delivery vehicle in
Morgantown, West Virginia Morgantown is a city in Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. It is situated along the Monongahela River in North Central West Virginia and is the home of West Virginia University. The population was 30,347 at the 2 ...
. On March 16, 2012, he attended West Virginia's
pro day The NFL draft, officially known as the Annual Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the most common source of player recruitment in the National Football League. Each team is given a position in the drafting order in reve ...
, but opted to stand on his combine numbers and only perform positional drills. During the draft process, he attended private workouts and meetings with multiple teams, including the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
,
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
,
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
,
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
,
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
, and
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
. On April 24, 2012, the charges of destruction of property against Irvin were dropped. At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Irvin was projected to be a second or third round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. While he showed superior speed and athleticism, many analysts and draft experts had him a second round draft prospect due to his numerous off the field issues he had throughout his youth and time at West Virginia. He was ranked the fifth best outside linebacker in the draft by NFLDraftScout.com.


Seattle Seahawks (first stint)


2012

The
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
selected Irvin in the first round (15th overall) of the
2012 NFL draft The 2012 NFL draft was the 77th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players for their rosters. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held ...
. He was the highest selected West Virginia Mountaineer since Adam Jones in
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
. Irvin was also the first defensive end and fourth defensive lineman selected in 2012. The Seahawks selection of Irvin surprised many scouts and analysts and drew major criticism as no major mock drafts, including ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'',
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
,
Mike Mayock Michael Francis Mayock Sr. (born August 14, 1958) is an American former professional football executive and player in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a safety with the New York Giants. After his playing career, he was a draft ...
, and Mel Kiper, had Irvin being selected in the first round. It was reported that Irvin had quietly become a top prospect and at least seven teams had him ranked as a top 15 talent. On May 7, 2012, the Seahawks signed Irvin to a fully guaranteed four-year, $9.34 million contract that includes a
signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
of $4.92 million. Irvin entered training camp getting first team reps at the Seahawks' hybrid Leo (defensive end/outside linebacker) position while Chris Clemons was in a contract hold out. Once Clemons returned in July, Irvin reverted to the second team defense. Head coach
Pete Carroll Peter Clay Carroll (born September 15, 1951) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as head coach for the NCAA's ...
named him the backup defensive end behind Clemons to start the regular season, with Red Bryant occupying the other side. He made his professional regular season debut in the Seahawks' season-opening 20–16 loss at the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
. On September 16, 2012, Irvin made his first career tackles and was credited with a half a sack during the Seahawks' 27–7 victory against the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
. In the fourth quarter, Irvin and Jason Jones sacked quarterback
Tony Romo Antonio Ramiro Romo (born April 21, 1980) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for the Eastern Illinois Pan ...
together, marking the first sack of his career. On September 24, 2012, Irvin recorded two combined tackles and sacked
Aaron Rodgers Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears foo ...
twice during a 14–12 victory over the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
. This marked his first career multi-sack game, solo tackle, and solo sack. In Week 5, Irvin recorded two solo tackles, had two sacks, and forced the first fumble of his career during a 16–12 win at the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
. On November 11, 2012, Irvin made two solo tackles and sacked Jets quarterback
Mark Sanchez Mark Travis John Sanchez (born November 11, 1986) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played college football for the USC Trojans ...
twice in Seattle's 28–7 victory. He finished his rookie season with ten combined tackles (eight solo), eight sacks, and a forced fumble in 16 games and zero starts. He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. Irvin played his first career playoff game in the Wild Card game against the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
, where he sacked Washington QB
Robert Griffin III Robert Lee Griffin III (born February 12, 1990), nicknamed RGIII or RG3, is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons, most notably with the Washington Redskins. He ...
for a 12-yard loss late in the fourth quarter and also recorded a defended pass en route to the team's 24–14 victory. He went on to start a playoff game for the first time in his career in the divisional round game against the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
, which the Seahawks lost 28–30.


2013

On May 17, 2013, Irvin was suspended for the first four games of the 2013 NFL season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. During the offseason, the Seahawks signed free agent defensive ends Michael Bennett and
Cliff Avril Clifford Samuel Avril (born April 8, 1986) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers and was selected in the third ro ...
. Head coach Pete Carroll stated that the Seahawks intended to move Irvin to outside linebacker for the 2013 season. He was slated to be the Seahawks' strongside linebacker and defensive end in Seattle's Wide 9 nickel scheme under new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. He returned in Week 5 and made his first career start in the Seahawks' 34–28 loss at the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
. He finished with four combined tackles and his first sack of the season, taking down
Andrew Luck Andrew Austen Luck (born September 12, 1989) is an American football executive and former professional quarterback who is the general manager of the Stanford Cardinal. He previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons ...
. On October 28, 2013, Irvin recorded a season-high nine combined tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and made the first interception of his career during a 14–9 victory at the
St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...
. He finished the 2013 season with 43 combined tackles (31 solo), two sacks, two pass deflections, and an interception in 12 games and 12 starts. The Seahawks finished atop The
NFC West The National Football Conference – Western Division or NFC West is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Arizona Card ...
with a 13–3 record and also received a first-round bye, as well as home field advantage. On January 11, 2014, he recorded two combined tackles during a 23–15 victory over the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
in the
National Football Conference The National Football Conference (NFC) is a conference of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level of professional American football in the United States. The NFC and its counterpart, the American Football Conference (AFC), each h ...
(NFC) Divisional round. The next week, the Seahawks defeated the 49ers in the
NFC Championship The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
. On February 2, 2014, Irvin played in
Super Bowl XLVIII Super Bowl XLVIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2013 Denver Broncos season, Denver Broncos and National Football Conference (NFC) champion 2013 Seattle Seahawks season, Seattle Seahawks to ...
and made two solo tackles as the Seahawks routed the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
43–8.


2014

Irvin returned as the strongside linebacker in 2014 with
Bobby Wagner Bobby Joseph Wagner (born June 27, 1990) is an American professional football linebacker for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Utah State Aggies and was selected by the Seattle Sea ...
at middle linebacker and K. J. Wright at weakside linebacker. Irvin missed the Seahawks' Week 3 victory over the Broncos because of a rib injury. On October 26, 2014, Irvin recorded three combined tackles and made two consecutive sacks in the fourth quarter to help preserve a 13–9 victory over the Panthers. The following week, he made three combined tackles, deflected a pass, and returned an interception for a 35-yard touchdown during a 30–24 victory against the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
. On December 28, 2014, Irvin recorded five combined tackles, a pass deflection, a sack, and returned an interception off a pass attempt by
Sam Bradford Samuel Jacob Bradford (born November 8, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Bradford attended Putnam City North High School, where he starred ...
for a 49-yard touchdown in the Seahawks' 20–6 victory over the Rams. He finished the 2014 season with 37 combined tackles (24 solo), 6.5 sacks, three pass deflections, two interceptions, and two touchdowns in 15 games and 13 starts. The Seahawks allowed the fewest points during the season and began to distinguish itself as one of the top defenses of all time. The Seahawks finished first in the NFC West with a 12–4 record and received a first-round bye. They reached the Super Bowl for the second season in a row after defeating the Panthers in the divisional round and the Packers in the NFC Championship. On February 2, 2015, Irvin started his second consecutive Super Bowl and recorded two solo tackles and a sack on
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
during the Seahawks' 28–24 loss to the Patriots in
Super Bowl XLIX Super Bowl XLIX was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2014 NFL season, 2014 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2014 New England Patriots season, New Eng ...
. In the final 20 seconds of Super Bowl XLIX, Irvin was ejected from the game after committing an unnecessary roughness penalty by throwing a closed-hand punch at Patriots
tight end The tight end (TE) is an offense (sports), offensive position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football. It is a hybrid that combines the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a receiver (football), receiv ...
Rob Gronkowski Robert James Gronkowski (born May 14, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Nicknamed "Gronk", Gronkowski played nine seasons for the Ne ...
that incited a brawl on the penultimate play. He was the first player in NFL history to ever be ejected from a Super Bowl and was fined $10,000 by the NFL. At the time of the penalty, the Patriots had the game in hand after a fourth-quarter comeback victory over the Seahawks.


2015

On May 2, 2015, it was reported that the Seahawks opted to decline the fifth-year, $7.75 million option on Irvin's rookie contract. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn departed after receiving the head coaching role for the Falcons and was replaced by Kris Richard. Richard opted to retain Wagner, Wright, and Irvin as the starting linebacker trio heading into the regular season. On October 18, 2015, Irvin recorded five combined tackles and sacked Panthers quarterback
Cam Newton Cameron Jerrell Newton (born May 11, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He is the NFL le ...
twice during a 27–23 loss. He was inactive for the Seahawks' Week 11 win against the 49ers after suffering an MCL sprain. Irvin finished the 2015 season with 38 combined tackles (22 solo), 5.5 sacks, and two pass deflections in 15 games and 12 starts. All three of Seattle's linebackers were ranked in the top 30 by
Pro Football Focus Pro Football Focus (also written as ProFootballFocus, and often referred to by its initials, PFF) is a sports analytics company that focuses on thorough analysis of the National Football League (NFL) and NCAA Division-I football in the United Sta ...
in 2015. Weakside linebacker K. J. Wright ranked sixth among all linebackers, Irvin played strongside linebacker and ranked 15th, and
Bobby Wagner Bobby Joseph Wagner (born June 27, 1990) is an American professional football linebacker for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Utah State Aggies and was selected by the Seattle Sea ...
ranked 30th in overall grades at middle linebacker. The Seahawks finished second in their division with a 10–6 record and went on to make it to the NFC divisional round before being defeated by the Carolina Panthers 31–24.


Oakland Raiders


2016

On March 10, 2016, the Raiders signed Irvin to a four-year, $37 million contract that includes $19 million guaranteed. This reunited him with Ken Norton Jr., who had accepted the Raiders' job as defensive coordinator after being the Seahawks linebackers' coach from 2010 to 2014. Head coach
Jack Del Rio Jack Louis Del Rio Jr. (born April 4, 1963) is an American professional football coach and former linebacker who is the head coach of the Paris Musketeers of the European League of Football (ELF). He played college football for the USC Trojans ...
named Irvin the starting strongside linebacker to begin the regular season, with Ben Heeney starting at middle linebacker, and former Seahawks' teammate Malcolm Smith at weakside linebacker. He started the Raiders' season-opener at the Saints and recorded two combined tackles and a sack on
Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is sec ...
in the Raiders' 35–34 victory. On November 21, 2016, Irvin recorded a season-high ten combined tackles and sacked
Brock Osweiler Brock Alan Osweiler (born November 22, 1990) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils and was selecte ...
during a 27–20 victory over the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
in
Mexico City, Mexico Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
. In Week 15, he collected six combined tackles and two sacks on
Philip Rivers Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football for the ...
during a 19–16 win over the
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
. He was named
American Football Conference The American Football Conference (AFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level of professional American football in the United States. The AFC and its counterpart, the National Football Conference ...
(AFC) Defensive Player of the Week for his Week 15 performance. He finished the 2016 season with 57 combined tackles (47 solo), seven sacks, and a pass deflection in 16 games and 16 starts. The Raiders finished second in the
AFC West The American Football Conference – Western Division or AFC West is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division comprises the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, ...
with a 12–4 record and received a playoff berth. On January 7, 2017, Irvin started his first career playoff game as a member of the Raiders and recorded five combined tackles in a 27–14 loss to the Houston Texans.


2017

On November 26, 2017, Irvin recorded three solo tackles and two sacks during a 21–14 victory against the Broncos. The next week, he made a season-high eight combined tackles and a sack on
Geno Smith Eugene Cyril "Geno" Smith III (born October 10, 1990) is an American professional football quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers, leading them ...
in the Raiders' 24–17 win against the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
. In Week 14, Irvin recorded four solo tackles and two sacks on
Alex Smith Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football for the Utah Utes, earning first-team All-American ho ...
in a 26–15 loss at the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...
. Irvin finished the 2017 season with a career-high 58 combined tackles (38 solo), a career-high eight sacks, and three pass deflections in 16 games and 16 starts. He was ranked 85th by his peers on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2018 The NFL Top 100 Players of 2018 was the eighth season in the series. It ended with reigning NFL MVP Tom Brady being ranked #1, making him the only player to be voted #1 three times, already being the only player to be voted first more than once. ...
.


2018

On September 11, 2018, Irvin recorded a strip-sack in the season-opener against the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
. On September 30, he would record his second sack against the Browns and would get his third the next week against the
Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC W ...
, his 40th career sack. On November 3, 2018, Irvin was released by the Raiders after eight games.


Atlanta Falcons

On November 7, 2018, Irvin signed a one-year contract with his hometown team, the Falcons. Irvin recorded 3.5 sacks and 13 combined tackles in his 8 games with the Falcons.


Carolina Panthers

On March 19, 2019, Irvin signed a one-year contract with the Panthers. In Week 16 against the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
, Irvin sacked
Jacoby Brissett Jacoby JaJuan Brissett (born December 11, 1992) is an American professional football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). Following a stint with the Florida Gators, he played college football for the NC Sta ...
twice during the 38–6 loss.


Seattle Seahawks (second stint)

Irvin re-signed with the Seahawks on April 23, 2020. He suffered a
torn ACL An anterior cruciate ligament injury occurs when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is either stretched, partially torn, or completely torn. The most common injury is a complete tear. Symptoms include pain, an audible cracking sound during in ...
in week 2 and was placed on
injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...
on September 23.


Chicago Bears

On November 18, 2021, Irvin was signed to the
practice squad In gridiron football, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. They serve as extra players during the team's practices, often as part of the scou ...
of the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
. He was promoted to the active roster on December 10. On December 26, Irvin's pressure on
Russell Wilson Russell Carrington Wilson (born November 29, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He has primarily played for the Seattle Seahawks. With the Sea ...
leading to an incompletion on fourth down secured a 25–24 victory by the Bears versus Irvin's former team, the Seahawks.


Seattle Seahawks (third stint)

Irvin re-signed with the Seahawks onto their practice squad on October 12, 2022. He subsequently played with the team, beginning with the Los Angeles Chargers game in week 7. He was signed to the active roster on November 4, 2022.


Detroit Lions

On November 14, 2023, Irvin was signed to the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
practice squad. On January 3, 2024, Irvin was released by the Lions.


Miami Dolphins

On January 9, 2024, Irvin signed with the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
.


NFL career statistics


Regular season


Playoffs


References


External links

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West Virginia Mountaineers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Irvin, Bruce 1987 births Living people Players of American football from Atlanta Players of American football from Stone Mountain, Georgia American football defensive ends American football linebackers Butler Grizzlies football players Mt. SAC Mounties football players West Virginia Mountaineers football players Seattle Seahawks players Oakland Raiders players Atlanta Falcons players Carolina Panthers players Chicago Bears players 21st-century American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen Detroit Lions players Miami Dolphins players