Rueben Bain Explains His 2026 Goals
September 2nd, 2026
Rueben Bain
Buccaneers rookie (savior?) edge rusher Rueben Bain, the Miami Mauler, shared very clear thoughts on his rookie season goals.
Speaking on the Green Light podcast, Bain explained he’s about consistency and sending a message to teammates.
Co-host Beau Allen asked Bain what expectations he has set for his rookie self.
“Nothing statistical,” Bain replied.
“Just being consistent, coming up every day with the same attitude, being the same guy every day. I want the last day of [training] camp to feel like my first day of camp, flying around making plays. Just leaving an impression on my teammates that I’m doing the right thing; I’m going to always do that right thing. Honestly, not statistical. Because I feel like that’s when you start reaching and pressing too much. So I just want to go out, play, have fun. And whatever God blessed me with, that’s the opportunities that I have.”
Great answer by Bain, and it sure seems like it wasn’t a canned script, as in he’s not going home at night texting friends that he’s locked in on 10 sacks and the NFL Rookie of the Year honor.
Joe is dialed in on the consistency like Bain is. That is so key. The Bucs have had, at best, inconsistent play from their edge rushers since Todd Bowles became head coach.
September 2nd, 2026 at 1:56 pm
Ha, I’m literally listening to this interview right now.
Beau Allen is cool, in a 90s Jean Claude Van Dam movie villain kind of way.
September 2nd, 2026 at 2:00 pm
This guy is SO cerebral…..man, we need to count our blessings with Mr. Bain falling to us…..
He didnt want to say it, probably not even thinking it, but I will… DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR!
September 2nd, 2026 at 2:09 pm
Think TB is concerned about an edge rusher? Sure doesnt seem like it. Maybe this is the year.
September 2nd, 2026 at 2:15 pm
So his goal is to kick ass. Go Bain!
September 2nd, 2026 at 2:47 pm
NFC Championship game with this type of attitude!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
September 2nd, 2026 at 2:47 pm
2030 Bain signs 200 million extension, 4/50….eh, i dont know, just playing around lol….GOALS
September 2nd, 2026 at 2:48 pm
Joe … ‘Joe is dialed in on the consistency like Bain is. That is so key. The Bucs have had, at best, inconsistent play from their edge rushers since Todd Bowles became head coach.’
Your ‘bottom lines’ still jump out at me Joe; they’re extremely ‘consistent’ in that Todd Bowles’ name seems to find its’ way in there much more often than not. Seems to me that particular ‘bottom line’ (above) contains an implication that Bowles, as Bucs’ head coach, is responsible for our edge rushers ‘inconsistent play’.
We already know that some of the recent edge rushers who’ve played here since 2019 when Bowles arrived (Braswell, Reddick, JTS, Watts, Gill, even Nelson) didn’t exactly set the world on fire. Bowles’ veteran edge rushers (JPP, Shaq, Nassib) actually did extremely well (2019-2021) until they were either injured or sent packing. We all know how talented JPP & Shaq were (Nassib was no slouch either), but I doubt any of of us would refer to Braswell or JTS or the others as also being ‘talented’.
Still, Todd Bowles’ defenses have been relatively consistent in terms of sacks, QB hits & TFLs over his 7 years here.
o 2019: 47 sacks – 117 QB hits – 87 TFLs … 251 Total
o 2020: 48 sacks – 116 QB hits – 91 TFLs … 255 Total
o 2021: 47 sacks – 127 QB hits – 81 TFLs … 255 Total
o 2022: 44 sacks – 104 QB hits – 89 TFLs … 237 Total
o 2023: 47 sacks – 84 QB hits – 91 TFLs … 222 Total
o 2024: 46 sacks – 113 QB hits – 81 TFLs … 240 Total
o 2025: 37 sacks – 89 QB hits – 83 TFLs … 209 Total
o Averages: 45 sacks – 107 QB hits – 86 TFLs … 238 Total
It’s not hard to see that the Bucs did better in 2019-2021 than they did in 2022-2025. But again it comes down to talent (JPP & Shaq got the overwhelming majority of the OLB def snaps in the 2019-2021 period). This year the talent level has been raised, and I fully expect to see much better performance from the front end of our defense this year.
September 2nd, 2026 at 2:53 pm
I’m predicting 55 sacks this season
September 2nd, 2026 at 2:54 pm
Maybe 60 sacks this season
September 2nd, 2026 at 3:04 pm
@ mad
Perhaps we should let the rookie play at least one real NFL game before we fit him for his gold jacket?
Maybe?
Chill out dude…
September 2nd, 2026 at 3:06 pm
lol, GOTCHA!!!!
September 2nd, 2026 at 3:10 pm
@ mad
LOL!
I also share your optimism re Bain…
But we should let him play a bit before we get too wet in the panties.
Yes?
September 2nd, 2026 at 3:13 pm
lol, cant identify with wearing panties….you speaking from experience?….dont answer
September 2nd, 2026 at 3:14 pm
Yaya is on a mission this season
I wouldn’t be surprised if he get 12 sacks
I know he feel disrespected by the Bucs
He’s still playing on his 4th round rookie contract
He can make the Bucs ante up after the season
September 2nd, 2026 at 3:24 pm
** l meant Yaya is still playing on his 3rd rd contract
September 2nd, 2026 at 3:37 pm
Reasonable rookie goal: Make it through all 17 games and hope there’s an 18th.
September 2nd, 2026 at 3:38 pm
Absolutely love that answer. I think more players should think it the exact same way. Don’t hear this often from players who jump at the chance to make their personal (selfish? when considering the “Team”) goals known or put out statistical goals. This guy is his own dude, doesn’t take the bait or conform and seems to have a head on his shoulders and football outlook that is mostly unparalleled at this age and stage of career.
I couldn’t like that answer more. And a rarity.
FN Beau is a cool A dude too. Also loved his quick wit and Grinch reference w/ Godwin (“and your heart grew 3 times larger that day” 😂)
September 2nd, 2026 at 3:42 pm
^ Yep, we got a real one in Bain….
September 2nd, 2026 at 3:42 pm
Warren Brooks Lynch,
YESSSS 😂 perfect
(…or like Jean-Claude Van Dame main friend & ally Ray Jackson/Donald Gibb in Bloodsport)
September 2nd, 2026 at 3:44 pm
DR, nice analysis! It makes total sense.
September 2nd, 2026 at 4:21 pm
We don’t even need him to be a superstar just 7 sacks would literally improve this defense by a lot.
September 2nd, 2026 at 4:28 pm
Tom Edrington … ‘Reasonable rookie goal: Make it through all 17 games and hope there’s an 18th.’
I’m with you all the way on that one Tom. Except let’s not stop at 18; I’d say 20 or 21 ending with us throwing the Lombardi from one boat to another would be even better.
September 2nd, 2026 at 4:36 pm
@ mad
LOL!
I knew you’d like that one bud…
September 2nd, 2026 at 4:46 pm
He cant sack droppin back in the abowles defense.
Plan 3 from outer space has arrived.
Ha Ha Ha…HoHoHo. The savior.
September 2nd, 2026 at 4:52 pm
Counting on the front 7 to show vast improvement or Burrow is gonna chew us up.
September 2nd, 2026 at 5:35 pm
Izien made the Lions 53 man roster.
It sure would be nice to have him as a backup safety and starting nickle.
I will never understand why we let him sign with Detroit: à Rival.
Izien should still be a Buccaneer. I saw no drop off when he started all those games for Winfield.
I saw him flash every game he played in.
He can start at nickle and safety and he can be a 6th CB.
I hope we bring him back next year.
MJ Stewart is also the backup SS for the Texans. He should have remained à Buc as well. He was a hard hitter.
He’s known as a special teams gangster in Houston.
Pyburn will get more sacks this year than Braswell had in 2.
10 offensive lineman?
Sorry but we need to always invest à 2nd round pick in à 6th man.
Hear me out. An elite guard/center who can backup 3 positions. LG, RG, and C.
How many years have we seen à LG, RG or C go down?
You need an elite 6th man to backup 3 positions.
And for a swing tackle? I also want to invest à 2nd round pick in our 7th man.
À elite college RT who dropped to thé 2nd. À guy you can teach to also play LT.
An elite swing tackle.
I honestly think our O-line should 7 starters.
High draft picks. Instead of losing all these 2nd round picks!
Let’s always have a 7 man offensive line.
Then bring develop a lower draft pick of UDFA as our 8th and 9th linemen.
I never want more than 9 offensive linemen on our 53 man roster.
And 5 MLB? Are we crazy? Our MLb never rotate.
We had a solid 4. Why keep Fordham over Pyburn. I want 6 OLB who can rotate so we have fresh legs in the 4th quarter.
September 2nd, 2026 at 5:57 pm
Teacherman
I wonder with Izien if it was a locker room thing?
He was really good and really cheap. It doesn’t make sense.
September 2nd, 2026 at 7:17 pm
Is it unreasonable to think Izien might have had his own Mike Evans in the tunnel moment quietly during the collapse and decided to do the right and reasonable thing in the name of his mental health and seek employment elsewhere? As hard as that was to watch, I can’t imagine what it must have been like to have been out there with your name on those failures. Going to a rival is a statement. They probably offered him a shot to start.
A back-up elite swing interior OL and matching elite swing OT sure would be nice but that’s in the realm of where Joe cracks about an island and Kate Upton. I like what the Bucs have though. It’s about as close as a team can hope to get to solid OL depth.
Schrauth, if healthy is probably a guy who can start like Ted Larson but with power and push. He is no Michael Jordan. He was a captain at Norte Dame and would have been a day 2 pick if not for his injury. He could be Alex Capps for the Bungles though once he suits up again but we’ll see.
Chuckwuma doesn’t have the college experience but he keeps looking good. I’m good with him as swing tackle after another year of development. He looks like a man amongst boys in flashes and looks like he belongs out there on his other snaps.
Plus, Barton can swing out to left tackle on zero notice. That’s unique.
We all have PTS from last season. The Louvre got better performance from their guards than the Bucs did last fall. But what the Bucs have is about as good as it gets in today’s NFL and in the years prior to 2025 these starters did a phenomenal job of staying on the field together.
You can’t spell elite without E-L-I and Eli Klein got cut.
September 2nd, 2026 at 7:19 pm
Madman
There are women marines, but no panties – men’s cotton briefs fit better on their hairy legs. NFL players wear panty hose. Not sure where this is going. 😁
September 2nd, 2026 at 7:44 pm
Teacherman … ‘I honestly think our O-line should 7 starters. High draft picks. Instead of losing all these 2nd round picks!’
I doubt that we could afford ‘7 starters’ all of whom were high draft picks. I’ve sometimes wondered about drafting & if there might be some type of a ‘rotation’ you could set up. You know, use the Top-3 Rnds each year to pick up certain position groups in rotation (like say 1 OLineman or DLineman every year, 1 WR or TE or RB every year, plus draft a QB/CB/LB/Safety every year.
Part of me says that mathematically you could make it work, but another side says that it only really works if everyone pans out. And as we already know, that virtually never happens. Sometimes you draft an OLB in the 2nd Rnd, keep him for 2 years, then decide ‘Nope, ain’t gonna work’ and you release him.
September 2nd, 2026 at 7:46 pm
Or it’s likely we drafted 2 guys to fill voids in which Izien got his playing time and was able to show he can stick in this league. Parrish held the nickel down, Tykee converted to safety and neither of those guys missed much time. Izien, if I’m remembering correctly ended the year on IR.
Izien making the squad in Detroit proves he’s good enough to stick in this league and this is year 4 for him, so he’s officially a vested veteran after this year. No matter what, he started here as a UDFA and that’s a credit to our staff on the football and business side. That validates the work our scouts do and the effort the team puts into scouting/courting/acquiring talent.
Ayden Garnes is the new version of the Izien story, just at a different position and a different style of play. Let’s hope he works out like Izien or maybe even Cam Brate.
September 2nd, 2026 at 8:17 pm
Sounds like Jason Taylor has helped him with his mental game too.
September 2nd, 2026 at 9:18 pm
Teacherman Says:
September 2nd, 2026 at 5:35 pm
Izien made the Lions 53 man roster.
I will never understand why we let him sign with Detroit: à Rival.
——————————————————————————————
The same reason they let Dean walk. They are trying to prepare to pay a journeyman quarterback who wants $60M.