The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got more bad news from their joint practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Tuesday.
Apart from getting apparently dominated by the Jags, the Buccaneers also saw first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. suffer an injury. However, there is no need for Tampa Bay fans to press the panic button on Bain’s status for the team’s 2026 season opener on Sept. 13 against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, sources say Bain’s injury is “nothing serious” and that the former Miami Hurricanes star pass rusher should be ready to give it a go in time for the Bengals matchup.
Bain has weeks to fully recover from his seemingly minor injury and help Tampa Bay’s stop unit that can certainly use his help in the trenches. Last season, the Buccaneers recorded just 37 sacks and posted a 6.1% sack rate—both ranked in the bottom half of the league.
Bain’s NFL stock surged during his final season with the Hurricanes in 2025, when he racked up 9.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss in 16 games.
The Buccaneers have a preseason game left to play Friday against the Jaguars at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla., but Bain can be expected to sit that game out completely to avoid the risk of aggravating his injury.
