Rueben Bain Jr. waited a little longer than expected for his first NFL sack, but it came in a big moment Sunday.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie defensive end got to Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers late in the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium, dropping him for an 8-yard loss and recording the first sack of his professional career.
Bain’s path to that moment has already included more than a few bumps. Tampa Bay selected him with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after he established himself as one of college football’s most disruptive defenders at Miami. Over three seasons with the Hurricanes, he piled up 121 tackles, 33.5 tackles for loss and 20.5 sacks.
His final college season was the one that put him on the national radar. In 2025, Bain was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and earned consensus All-American honors after finishing with 9.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss.
The NFL start has been slower, though injuries played a part. Bain won a starting job before the regular season, but through his first two games he managed only two pressures. Shoulder and groin issues then sidelined him for Tampa Bay’s third and fourth games, and he returned in Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys.
Against Dallas, Bain finished with two assisted tackles as the Buccaneers picked up their first win of the season. Entering Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh, he had appeared in three games, totaled three tackles and produced two pressures without a sack.
Now that the first one is in the books, the Buccaneers are hoping there’s more where that came from. With Bain healthy and Tampa Bay playing competitive football, the chances should keep coming. And the fact that the breakthrough came against Rodgers gives it a little extra flavor - the kind of detail that can turn into trivia down the line.
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