Paging Rueben Bain
September 21st, 2026
Missing persons report.
So far — so far! — the buzz isn’t living up to the hype. Not remotely so.
Look, Joe is not going to bang on a rookie who has only played two games. But the hype on Bucs rookie outside linebacker Rueben Bain was off the hook this offseason. It was as if Bain was going to single-handedly be the next Lee Roy Selmon while on the side curing world hunger and solving climate change.
He has done none of the above. Bain has easily been the most hyped Bucs rookie since America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston. There is no meat on those bones, however.
At least in Jameis’ second NFL game, he threw for 207 yards and added a touchdown, guiding the Bucs to a win over Sean Payton and the slimy Saints in Lincoln’s Tomb.
So far in two games, Bain has one tackle. That’s it. On Sunday, there was an all-points bulletin put out by the Bucs trying to locate Bain’s whereabouts.
It is hard for a rookie edge rusher to dominate in the NFL. And a rookie edge rusher in Todd Bowles’ defense? Talk about an unreal steep climb to dominate.
Right now, Bain looks like an aggressive, more muscular Chris Braswell. Joe hates suggesting that. Once Bain goes inside and faces a couple of defenders, he gets lost in the wash.
Joe is confident Bain will get the hang of things. But right now the naked eye says Anthony Nelson is a better option.
And with the Bucs being 0-2, and that’s before the annual Bowles midseason swoon and with a pair of very likely more losses coming because Bowles still cannot beat an AFC North team, Joe doesn’t know if Bowles has the luxury of just leaving Bain out on the field and letting him work out his problems.
Bowles needs wins. In a hurry. Or Bain will be coached up next spring by someone else.
September 21st, 2026 at 12:03 am
I’m so mad at this team, but honestly, it’s pretty much what I expected with Todd Bowles. That being said, I don’t think it’s entirely his fault. Baker has had opportunities to make two big throws over the last two games, and if he makes those throws, the Bucs are probably 2-0 right now. That’s what makes this even more frustrating—there have been chances to win both games, but they just haven’t been able to make the plays when it matters most. Or Anzalone making 1 or 2 tackles it’s just been BAD BAD FOOTBALL!!!
September 21st, 2026 at 12:03 am
Bye Todd, adios….dont let the door knob hit ya where the good Lord split ya!!!!
September 21st, 2026 at 12:05 am
If the defense did their job and kept opponents 17 points or less, we’d be undefeated right now! But no, Bowles and Bain – the B&B connection – can’t get it done and instead are putting undue pressure on our top paid franchise QB to have to put up huge numbers just to keep the Bucs in the games.
September 21st, 2026 at 12:06 am
Owners should be Paging coach Sean McDermitt!
September 21st, 2026 at 12:06 am
Bust?????
September 21st, 2026 at 12:06 am
31 other teams evaluated this kid objectively. He is that man, indeed.
September 21st, 2026 at 12:17 am
I kept saying to much hype on the guy. Yes hard for olb to dominate in the first year. I think he will show up but like the rest of the team it may not be til the second hall of the season. Right now the defense is who we thought they were but worse. Bain is a rookie and plays like it. Morrison is underdeveloped, McColumn is well, McColumn we know to well. The sad part Anzalone is not much of an improvement over Dennis if any. The offensive line not what we thought, Baker continues to play average. The bright spot, Trotter , Scott and maybe Hurst. What has changed with the receivers?. Gainwell not an upgrade to White. Zac not really much improved over Gizzard. The result is yes a bad team. I see no hope for Bowlers at this point. The only question is who replaces and when. I don’t see him past mid season. Does Tomlin accept a job?
September 21st, 2026 at 12:17 am
I think the Bain thing is over blown. It takes time to develop edge rushers and this genius coaching staff has never been able to do that. The best thing for Bain is to get a new coach that knows how to use him. This team has way bigger issues than Bain at the moment. The offensive line, Baker and his turnovers plus the offensive playcalling. Think we should probably start there before we worry about a rookie who has only played 2 NFL regular season games.
September 21st, 2026 at 12:20 am
Of course it’s early, but the eyeball test on Bain is not good. He looks really small out there and isn’t compensating it with unique speed or strength.
September 21st, 2026 at 12:20 am
Turns out he only looked good against fellow short arms haver Luke that was going half speed in camp.
September 21st, 2026 at 12:20 am
I kept saying to much hype on the guy. Yes hard for olb to dominate in the first year. I think he will show up but like the rest of the team it may not be til the second hall of the season. Right now the defense is who we thought they were but worse. Bain is a rookie and plays like it. Morrison is underdeveloped, McColumn is well, McColumn we know to well. The sad part Anzalone is not much of an improvement over Dennis if any. The offensive line not what we thought, Baker continues to play average. The bright spot, Trotter , Scott and maybe Hurst. What has changed with the receivers?. Gainwell not an upgrade to White. Zac not really much improved over Gizzard. The only question is when is Bowles let go?.will Tomlin take a job mid season?
September 21st, 2026 at 12:25 am
missing person alert…
he could be on the back of a milk carton at your local bodega this week
September 21st, 2026 at 12:36 am
Man, I tell you the “Joe” who said Bowles would make him look like Conrad Bain was 100% correct, along with saying the Bucs blew it by taking Devin White, and nailing the Egbuka pick.
September 21st, 2026 at 12:39 am
Pain lives in memory more than flesh…..how far are we going Glazers/Jason?
Its time!
September 21st, 2026 at 12:41 am
We’ve got 5 years mediocrity from Bowles but we’ll criticize Bain after two games lol wow. It ain’t the players it’s Todd Bowles and his scheme and it’s the reason why a franchise can fire say a Pete Carroll hire an unknown coach and end up in the Super Bowl the next year. The coach and his scheme suck
September 21st, 2026 at 1:01 am
Bain and the Bucs will be better off with a completely new defensive coaching staff.
Bowles defensive scheme had it’s time, but the kinds of players needed to make it work now are Pro Bowlers and All Pros. He had those in 2020 but they’re long gone. That he needs studs just to be average or above in the rankings is not how coaching works.
He should’ve been let go last year, which was widely believed even then. Now everyone is stuck with him until January.
September 21st, 2026 at 1:13 am
Poorly coached team! Every Bucs fan knew it and called for the change yet ownership ignored it. We lost Evans because of it and now we are losing another season due to it. Bowels failed the Jets and ripped that team apart and is doing the same to the Bucs! Why did we bring Zach Robinson in? Never saw him do anything good. Anyways it is what it is. History always repeats itself. Here comes Shaun King. Go Bucs!
September 21st, 2026 at 1:40 am
Buc4L: Untrue, Robinson destroyed Bowles defense last year with Atlanta, but that’s not saying much.
September 21st, 2026 at 1:42 am
I sort of got a solution…
If we can get the Redskins on the phone tonight and get them to take Baker, the Bucs will still be stuck with $15M dead cap next year, and $45M dead cap in 2027, but that’s the best way to get him off the books.
If we wait, it gets a lot more expensive to dump Baker.
I’d try to get them while they’re down, and trade Baker for an injured Daniels straight-up. Plus we’d have two QBs named J. Daniels, that has to account for something.
To be sure, I doubt the Redskins would be dumb enough to take that deal, but who knows, they could just be fed up with Daniels getting hurt and think anything is better.
September 21st, 2026 at 1:42 am
Reminds me of Brian Bosworth. Except he hasn’t been knocked into orbit by a Bo Jackson. It hasn’t been necessary
September 21st, 2026 at 1:43 am
HeartyDickerson Says:
September 21st, 2026 at 12:20 am
Of course it’s early, but the eyeball test on Bain is not good. He looks really small out there and isn’t compensating it with unique speed or strength.
————
Yeah, 2 games in, and he’s not an ALL-PRO yet.
Time to cut him and move on.
Good call.
September 21st, 2026 at 1:55 am
The next time Bowles develops a pass rusher….it. will. be. his. first.
This season was over the second the Glazer conglomerate decided last offseason that they didnt want to compete with the rest of the league for the best candidates.
September 21st, 2026 at 1:59 am
Need to get things figured out because a legit DC is coming this week. Per ESP:
“Flores’ defense blitzed Packers QB Jordan Love on 72% of his dropbacks in Week 1 and then turned it up even further Sunday, blitzing Bears QB Caleb Williams on 78% of his dropbacks. That’s the highest blitz percentage any NFL quarterback has faced since Detroit’s Jared Goff was blitzed on 79% of his dropbacks in Week 18 of the 2023 season by … yep, the Vikings. What’s remarkable about what Flores is doing right now isn’t just that he’s blitzing at such an extreme rate — it’s that his players are so bought into what he’s calling, and so practiced at executing it, that it feels like Flores could call anything he wants right now and count on it to work.”
Imagine that, players understanding they have a legit coach & buying in & executing at a very high level. It’s almost as if coaching and attitude matters… crazy concept.
September 21st, 2026 at 2:05 am
Rod Munch Says:
September 21st, 2026 at 1:43 am
HeartyDickerson Says:
September 21st, 2026 at 12:20 am
Of course it’s early, but the eyeball test on Bain is not good. He looks really small out there and isn’t compensating it with unique speed or strength.
————
“Yeah, 2 games in, and he’s not an ALL-PRO yet.
Time to cut him and move on.
Good call.”
Haha queue the obvious derpy overreaction response. As said in my very first words, it’s early, but he shows no overly unique physical traits you’d hope to see n a 1st rounder.
September 21st, 2026 at 2:25 am
It’s time to turn the page on Jason Licht. He can draft receivers and o-linemen. Aside from that he is a disaster. Desperation high risk FA deals. Over paying on contract extensions. Caving to Vv and Baker when he had all the leverage? And then embarrassing him self fawning over his failed draft picks right before they flame out?
He needs to go (along with Bowels, of course).
And whichever Joe keeps prefacing his name with ROH, I beg you to quit embarrassing yourself.
September 21st, 2026 at 2:40 am
Rod Munch Says:
September 21st, 2026 at 1:43 am
HeartyDickerson Says:
September 21st, 2026 at 12:20 am
Of course it’s early, but the eyeball test on Bain is not good. He looks really small out there and isn’t compensating it with unique speed or strength.
————
Yeah, 2 games in, and he’s not an ALL-PRO yet.
Time to cut him and move on.
Good call.
^^^^^^^^^
Ah, the meat whistle who thinks the Bucs are going to trade Baker is critical. You can’t make this sh!t up! Hahahaha
September 21st, 2026 at 3:15 am
Ruben Bain himself, is literally THE ‘definition’ of the absolute lunacy and delusionalism of the majority of commenters on this website. Throwing around terms such as “LOADED” when referring to THIS Bucs Roster, while truly ‘believing’ that the ‘ROOKIE’ (with the short arms) was going to just walk through the door here, and then step out onto a NFL FIELD, and just DOMINATE from the JUMP. LoL. NOW, only after 2-GAMES… They’re throwing around other terms, such as “BUST.” I mean, if YOU ‘thought’ any of this whatsoever, at all… Then, that would be a “YOU” PROBLEM. It’s INSANITY. Like, y’all are just straight up Huuuuge SUCKERS. Y’all friggin FALL FOR IT, every single-time… I mean, hook, line, AND SINKER. Every. Time. No matter WHAT. Literally, no matter WHAT your own eyes, brains, or EVEN MYSELF… No mater HOW HARD “I” TRIED. Yeah, Ole “Melvin Junior” was always “the bad guy,” JUST for trying to WARN you people, and by speaking THE TRUTH.
September 21st, 2026 at 3:32 am
Smoke Porterhouse Says:
Ah, the meat whistle who thinks the Bucs are going to trade Baker is critical. You can’t make this sh!t up! Hahahaha
—————
I’m the meat whistle? I think not.
I’m sorry, but please refrain from that language in the future. I’m married and not interested in one of your man on man orgies.
Please find God let him lead you from your evil ways. I will pray for you. God bless.
September 21st, 2026 at 3:35 am
Really after the collapse of ’25 we now have big problems. But 0-2 isn’t the worst case scenario. Also Alex A sucks.
September 21st, 2026 at 3:37 am
And, what good do YOU really think that would actually DO!? It’s a BAD Football Team, with a WEAK ROSTER. Period. End of Story.
September 21st, 2026 at 3:44 am
Y’all just go ahead then, and keep TELLING ‘YOURSELF’ how LOADED this roster is. And, then see how that continues to work out. It’s FANTASY. I mean, haven’t ya already, SEEN ENOUGH!? It’s INSANITY. Delusional. Wake TF UP. Snap out of it. There is a REASON for WHY most people had them ranked as a BOTTOM-10 TEAM (around that #22 range) in the league power rankings. Teams with TRUE “LOADED” ROSTERS, are typically ranked in the TOP 5-10.
September 21st, 2026 at 3:46 am
i’m not even sure we can pray to JOBU to fix this
September 21st, 2026 at 4:56 am
HYPE……..JOE(S) were the ones HYPING the Beejeebers out of Bain all preseason…..nice work fellas!
September 21st, 2026 at 5:01 am
Jameis Winston’s first NFL pass resulted in a pick six. We all know how that worked out.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:02 am
Just amazes me management, ownership could be so wrong, about this team. Maybe they should pay more attention to the fans. At least give the fans what they want. We wanted Bowles gone, and rightfully so. Now Licht has to go with him. It’s time for a new direction, from top down. The pieces Licht thought were foundations to build around, need to be dealt while they still have any value. Just because we gave Baker his bag doesn’t mean we shouldn’t draft our QB next spring in a QB rich draft. Baker is really only signed for the next two. Expensive bridge QB, but it is what it is.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:04 am
5-12
September 21st, 2026 at 5:08 am
Never seen such a disaster
September 21st, 2026 at 5:36 am
Looks like Fabio is playing Touch football out there. Pretty bad!
September 21st, 2026 at 5:38 am
Bain looks and plays soft. No hustle, no hunger. Trade him today for a second round pick. By midseason won’t get a 7th for this assclown bust.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:51 am
More of Jason’s hype. Why the Bucs think starting rookies is a good idea is beyond me.
Every year same story: hype a draft pick, draft pick given a starting job, draft pick fails. Jason doesn’t admit his screw up. repeat cycle.
Bain is horrible at this point.
September 21st, 2026 at 5:58 am
I didn’t see a bad football team Sunday. Neither the Browns, nor the Bucs looked terrible. Bucs looked worse against the Bengals with the 4 turnovers. I see a Bucs team that is rusty and requires more reps. Everyone on here posting who is embarrassed by this loss is pissed due to the national media and how they frame the status of teams going into the new season. Browns simply have a reputation, and why? Because they got thumped on the road by a good Jax team to start the season? No overreaction there. Browns did not look like the worst team in the league yesterday, and I’ve seen us play bad football teams. They tend to give us opportunity after opportunity with boneheaded mistakes, and that didn’t happen yesterday, especially in the second half.
I would not be shocked if this Bucs team turns this around rolls off some consecutive wins. I think this team is too talented. They will get this fixed.
Am I surprised we are 0-2, maybe a little, but I also know this is the NFL, nothing is in this league, nor do the Bucs make it easy. Teams can turn it around quick and matchups are everything. I think our first 2 weeks were tougher than we expected. Don’t be shocked if both Bengals and Browns end up with top 10 defenses. The season has already surprise me. Saints beating the Ravens in Baltimore? Cardinals thumping the Chargers last week in LA?
This team is not as bad as the record indicates, it will turn around.
September 21st, 2026 at 6:37 am
Give toilet bowels a full season with Bain and he’ll be the next Noah Spence, only with zero confidence.
September 21st, 2026 at 6:49 am
Why are you paging a rookie joe page Yaya where is he.page vea where has that guy been.
September 21st, 2026 at 7:00 am
All of the defensive captains have been major disappointments for the past 2 yrs. We love to point out all of the defensive failings….ILBs, McCollom, every edge ever drafted by JL, blah, blah, blah, but some how, some way AWJ always gets a pass with this group. Imo, he looks small, weak, and late to the game ever since his bag of cash. Now Vea, Anzalone, and baker are following in his tiny footsteps. When the problems are this systemic it is on leadership: Captains, HC, and your blind squirrel of a GM
September 21st, 2026 at 7:02 am
Bain is in trauma protocol.😂 Poor guy is shell shocked watching this garbage. He needs to be coached, any player needs proper coaching. Stop calling a rookie out, start calling Mayfield out for not taking accountability for his mishaps the past two games.
September 21st, 2026 at 7:11 am
Would love one of you serious film junkies to do a dive on what his assignments have been.
I’ve been so angry watching the same product for year 43 that I’ve mostly tuned out by the fourth drive. Maddening watching the exact same thing happen over and over.
Have a feeling that if we had prime Lawrence Taylor that he’d be used as a decoy, as a drop back zone defender and virtually anything but as a pass rusher.
September 21st, 2026 at 7:30 am
I’ve been saying that it seems like they might have given up on him already because at the end of last year they were starting to look like this.
September 21st, 2026 at 7:37 am
Hey, Rod. The last shall be first, but He didn’t say how long it would take.
September 21st, 2026 at 7:56 am
Walker looked explosive on the 1 sack he had
GO BUCS!!!!
September 21st, 2026 at 8:02 am
Mesidor had 3 tackles and was credited with a 1/2 sack
September 21st, 2026 at 8:10 am
It looks like Bain is playing with to much on his mind. He looks like he is trying to hard to read the play. I saw maybe 1 time he said screw it and went after the qb and looked half way decent.
September 21st, 2026 at 8:14 am
Bains Adams is not just not making plays, he’s getting pushed around.
September 21st, 2026 at 8:15 am
Bain needs reps for next year when we have a normal DC
September 21st, 2026 at 8:22 am
The player that really stood out to me yesterday was that long haired hippy dude that calls himself a linebacker. Wow just wow. When he wasn’t missing tackles he was taking out his own players that were trying to make tackles. His slow speed and short arms didn’t help and that we have 15 more games left is the bad news.
Is it too late to persuade Levonte the great to come out of retirement? Inquiring minds need to know.
September 21st, 2026 at 8:36 am
It’s too early to grade the rookies, but Licht’s expensive FA signings look like busts so far. Anzalone looks lost and misses tackles… he’s worse than the year 10 version of LD. Muhammad is invisible. Gaineswell hasn’t done anything. Neither Vea or Mayfield are playing worthy of their new contracts. Overall, the team looks like they lack preseason reps… whose call was it to play the starters less than one quarter out of 12 preseason quarters? Wrs aren’t getting open, when they do Mayfield misses. OL can’t block, get called for too many holding penalties, and the RBs aren’t picking up the blitz. This team is a mess, and don’t look prepared at all. Bowles is 2-9 since last season’s bye week, is there any indication they’ll turn it around before hitting the annual Bowles slump? I don’t see it.
September 21st, 2026 at 8:42 am
Next Gen Stats Insight for Browns-Buccaneers (via NFL Pro): Deshaun Watson completed 24 of 30 pass attempts for 238 yards and two touchdowns, averaging +0.25 EPA per dropback, his most as a Brown and most since Week 12 of the 2020 season.
September 21st, 2026 at 8:45 am
I think he had a legit pressure off the edge in the 1st qt . His get off seems a bit slow and he sits way back off the line….so he is gonna have trouble getting to a QB on a 3 or 4 step drop…but thats common with edge rushers. THere was a play in the 4th where he turned the corner pretty good on the tackle but watson got it off . I saw him in on several tackles as well…. I think the game is a bit fast for him right now and he is thinking not reacting….if so that will get better.
September 21st, 2026 at 8:54 am
Classic Licht thinking he is smarter than all other 31 GMs
September 21st, 2026 at 8:54 am
At least Bain has an excuse, he’s a rookie, but what about Anzalone? He’s out there flying around like David Lee Roth from an old MTV video, but where’s the beef Dude?
September 21st, 2026 at 9:00 am
He’ll be fine. It takes time for edge rushers to acclimate to the NFL, even the best of the best have slow starts. The biggest problem is he isn’t getting enough reps, Bowles subbing out the entire starting defense every 3rd series is slowing everyone’s development
September 21st, 2026 at 9:04 am
How about paging the Glazers? They bought the Bucs to generate cash flow. The Winning part is fine if it happens but generating cash file is the objective. They are paying Baker because they believe they will make more money than they are spending. Robert Kraft also likes cash flow but he loves being the guy with the best team too. Wins affect his decisions much more than the affect the Glazers.
September 21st, 2026 at 9:06 am
This what you get when you draft a 4-3 DE to play OLB in a 3-4
It will take years for him to adaft6
September 21st, 2026 at 9:07 am
The sad part is the bengals rookie is looking much better then him.
September 21st, 2026 at 9:09 am
Nah Bredeson. 2 other rookies that we were looking at are looking good and making sacks. This is licht whiffing again.
September 21st, 2026 at 9:26 am
I was worried from the start. Bowles doesn’t use Edges he uses OLBs and there not the same thing. Bain is an Edge and starts with his hand in the dirt. He is for a 4-3 defense. This young man was a gift for the team but Bowles will never use him right. We can save it all by going out and hiring Jayson Taylor But Bowles will wreak him
September 21st, 2026 at 9:39 am
Paging Jim Schwartz for a DC!
September 21st, 2026 at 9:43 am
Cut Bain after2 games, and trade Baker to the Redskins and start a QB who has never thrown ONE PASS IN THE NFL!!? Can u people hear yourselves!? Oh mama…overreaction Monday is in full effect i see
September 21st, 2026 at 11:18 am
Start Walker.
Rotate Bain in.
September 21st, 2026 at 12:08 pm
I guess that “small hands” tag is a real thing!
September 21st, 2026 at 12:26 pm
I have watch him getting thrown around like a rag doll two weeks now by opposing offensive lines. I would not call him a bust but if he keeps this up it is what it is.
September 21st, 2026 at 9:37 pm
Just play Nellie. Bain is lame.