Panic Button Yet For Buccaneers First-Round Pick Rueben Bain Jr.?

There isn't a lot to be happy about when it comes to this 2026 Tampa Bay Buccaneers team. The team started 0-2 and just dropped a game to a Cleveland Browns team it probably should have beaten, and multiple facets of the team's operation look sluggish and underwhelming.

Perhaps one of the most underwhelming aspects of the season has been pass rusher Rueben Bain Jr. Bain was selected with the No. 15 overall pick in 2026, and national pundits and general manager Jason Licht himself all believed the pick was a steal. Bain had concerns off the field and about his historically short arms, but the organization did not consider that a problem and were excited to draft him.

So far, through two games, he hasn't just failed to live up to the billing — he hasn't even really produced at all. He's a part of a bigger problem with the pass rush as a whole, but some Buccaneers fans are worried that Tampa Bay may have made an error drafting Bain after his first two games.

So, is it time to hit the panic button when it comes to Bain? Will he be bust, or was his selection a bad decision?

Bucs fans worry about it so much, and they give Bain some time. Here's why.

Should Buccaneers Fans Be Panicking About Rueben Bain?

Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins (10) rushes the ball defended by Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Rueben Bain Jr. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

No. Not yet, at least — it's far, far too early in his career.

It's true that Bain has been quite ineffective over his first two weeks. So far this season, he's played 62% of Tampa Bay's defensive snaps, per SumerSports. He's gotten just one tackle and has recorded no other stats. He has just two pressures, a 0% pass-rush win rate and no quarterback hits over the first two weeks.

He's been entirely washed out in both games he's played — so what's happening?

Well, first, he isn't entirely healthy. Head coach Todd Bowles said as much on Monday when asked about Bain's shoulder, which suffered an AC joint sprain in joint practice against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Bowles mentioned that it shouldn't be an excuse, but it's something to think about when evaluating him,

"I mean, I don't think he's completely healthy, but at the same time, he's good enough to play, so we've got to get more production there," Bowles said.

On top of that, it's just Bain's second game. The entire pass rush looks anemic in Tampa Bay, but him struggling to begin the season doesn't mean that he'll be this pass rusher forever in the slightest.

To give a real-world example on what could happen here, even accounting for the bold assumption that Bain plays this way for the rest of the season? Look at the Minnesota Vikings' Dallas Turner.

Minnesota Vikings linebacker Dallas Turner (15) reacts after a tackle during the first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Turner was drafted by the Vikings with the No. 17 pick in the first round in 2024, two slots below where Bain was picked. His first season with the Vikings wasn't up to snuff — he played in 16 games and netted just 20 total tackles, three sacks, five quarterback hits and 12 pressures.

He took an immediate jump in 2025 with all that experience under his belt, though. He had eight sacks in 2025, 15 quarterback hits and 41 pressures. Per SumerSports, Turner's pass rush win rate increased from 4% to 11%. Even now in 2026, with two games played, he already has three sacks, five solo tackles and a forced fumble.

There are many cases like Turner throughout NFL history, and there's no reason why Bain can't do the same thing (and why he couldn't do it even this season). It's natural to be startled when a first-round pick looks so anemic out of the gate, but he'll have plenty of time to learn his craft and recover from his nagging injury, too.

There's no reason to panic about Bain. There may be a reason to panic about the Buccaneers, though — they face Turner's Vikings on Sunday, and if the Bucs drop to 0-3, the math is against them making the playoffs at all this season.

The Bucs and the Vikings will face off on Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. in Raymond James Stadium.

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