The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will spend the rest of the preseason without Rueben Bain Jr., but the early word is that the rookie edge rusher should still be ready for Week 1.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Bain suffered an AC sprain during Tampa Bay’s joint practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Tuesday. The shoulder issue is not viewed as serious, and Bain is expected to be available when the Buccaneers open the regular season against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 13.
That means the No. 15 overall pick’s preseason is essentially over after one appearance. Bain made his debut against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2 of the preseason and wasted no time flashing the traits that made him a first-round choice. He was on the field for just six defensive snaps, yet Pro Football Focus credited him with an 88.8 overall grade and a 90.4 pass-rush grade.
Tampa Bay doesn’t appear to be in any rush to get him back on the field before the games start to count. With the regular-season opener still more than two weeks away, there’s little reason to push one of the defense’s key young pieces through the preseason finale against Jacksonville.
Bain has already carved out a notable role on the Buccaneers’ reshaped defensive front, lining up both on the edge and inside during training camp. The real question was whether Tuesday’s injury might put his Week 1 status in jeopardy.
At the moment, it doesn’t look that way. The Bucs will miss out on more live reps for Bain before the season begins, but keeping him healthy for Cincinnati matters far more than anything he might have done Friday night in Jacksonville.
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Buccaneers Pass Rush Plan Just Hit A Worrying Rueben Bain Snag
Rueben Bain Jr. had been one of the most intriguing pieces of Tampa Bays pass-rush puzzle before a joint practice against the Jaguars brought a brief scare. The Buccaneers first-round pick suffered an AC sprain during the session, and while the injury is not considered serious, it was enough to keep him out of practice the following day as the team shifts its attention toward recovery.
Bain is still expected to be ready for Week 1 against the Bengals, which keeps the bigger picture intact for Tampa Bay. Even so, any missed time is worth noting for a rookie trying to settle in, learn the speed of the defense and carve out a role in a pass-rush rotation that figures to matter a lot once the season begins. [Read more 🡒]
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For a team trying to sort out life after Mike Evans at the X receiver spot, Hurst is making it harder to treat the job as anything but open. The Buccaneers drafted him with a significant role in mind, and the way he has looked so far suggests that his rookie season could come with a heavier workload than many first-year receivers get. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Fans Have A New Rueben Bain Jr. Concern Before Week 1
A late-summer scare around Reuben Bain Jr. briefly tightened the mood at Buccaneers camp after the first-round pick suffered an AC sprain during a joint practice. The injury is being described as minor, and all signs still point to Bain being ready for Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, which is the bigger picture Tampa Bay cares about as the opener approaches.
Bain did not take part in the second joint practice, and there is a chance he sits out the preseason finale as well, giving the Bucs a little more time to handle his workload carefully. Tampa Bay has not offered an official medical update beyond the expectation that he will be available for the season opener, and in the meantime the team at least has Al-Quadin Muhammad available if it wants to keep the rookie protected a bit longer. [Read more 🡒]