Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Rueben Bain Jr. (3) warms up before a game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.
John Jones-Imagn Images
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are ready to make some noise during the 2026 NFL season. Tampa added edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. during the 2026 NFL Draft, giving them another excellent player in their front seven. Bain just got some positive injury news after a brief scare during a recent training camp practice.
Bain suffered an AC sprain, but it is said to be “nothing serious” per ESPN's Adam Schefter. The injury occurred on Tuesday at joint practices with the Jaguars.
Fortunately, Bain is expected to be ready to play in Week 1 against the Bengals.
Tampa will be counting on Bain to make an impact right away during his rookie season. Bain is projected to start on the edge next to Yaya Diaby and will hopefully bring some juice to Tampa's defense.
The former Hurricane had an excellent three-year run at the University of Miami. He impressed scouts with a fantastic junior season, logging nearly 10 sacks, 15.5 tackles for loss, and an interception in 2025. Buccaneers fans are hopeful that he can reach those same heights during his career in the NFL.
It is great news that Bain should be available in Week 1. Still, it is fair to question whether the rookie will be at full strength with the regular season just two weeks away.
If Bain is still recovering in Week 1, the Buccaneers do have a backup plan. Tampa signed veteran edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad to a one-year, $6 million contract during NFL free agency. Muhammad impressed with 11 sacks as a rotational player in Detroit during the 2025 season. He should be ready to split time with Bain, or temporarily take over his starting role, if needed.
Either way, it will be exciting to see how Tampa's new-look defense performs when the regular season kicks off soon.
But before then, the Buccaneers must play their preseason finale against the Jaguars on August 28th.