Buccaneers' Top Rookie Dealing With Preseason Injury
Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. is expected to play in Week 1after suffering a minor injury.
Rueben Bain Jr., the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' rookie edge rusher, recently experienced a health setback related to an AC sprain during the preseason. However, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the injury is not considered serious, and Bain remains on track to play in Tampa Bay's Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals on September 13.
Bain was selected by the Buccaneers with the No. 15 overall pick after leading the Miami Hurricanes to the College Football Playoff National Championship game with 9.5 sacks. Despite being widely considered a potential top-10 draft pick, Bain's arm length raised concerns that caused him to slip down the first round. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Bain expressed his excitement about whichever team drafts him, stating, "I just know that whatever team end up picking me (is) going to get the best out of me, going to get the best player in the draft."
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht expressed his excitement about drafting Bain, adding that Bain would have been taken earlier if possible. Licht praised Bain's passion for the game, emphasizing his desire to be the best and his dedication to edge rushing. ESPN analyst Domonique Foxworth has predicted that the 21-year-old Bain will win Defensive Rookie of the Year and help the Buccaneers achieve Super Bowl contention.
If Bain remains injury-free, he can potentially make his NFL debut during the Buccaneers' opening game against the Bengals on September 13.
Written by urgent.news from Newsweek's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
