The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in the final stages of roster cuts as they narrow their roster down to 53 players.
One area that could use some reinforcement is the cornerback room, where Tampa Bay has a group of promising but largely unproven players making up the depth chart. Adding a proven veteran to help mentor the young cornerbacks would be a wise move, and a golden opportunity just fell into the Bucs’ lap.
Sean Murphy-Bunting has a successful history with the Buccaneers and provides the kind of versatility that Todd Bowles really values in his defensive backs. He was just released by the Arizona Cardinals after missing the entire 2025 season with a torn ACL, and a reunion with Murphy-Bunting presents the Buccaneers with a low-risk, high-reward move to bolster the cornerback depth.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers must explore signing Sean Murphy-Bunting
The Buccaneers drafted Murphy-Bunting in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and he spent his first four seasons in Tampa Bay playing both outside and nickel cornerback.
He recorded 143 combined tackles, a sack, six interceptions and 21 passes defended during his regular-season stint in red and pewter.
Most notably, he played a key role as the unsung hero in the Bucs’ 2020 Super Bowl run, catching an interception in three straight postseason games. Counting the playoffs, he finished his four seasons in Tampa Bay with an impressive nine interceptions.
His ball-hawking ways continued with his next destinations — Tennessee and Arizona, where he recorded a total of five interceptions across two seasons.
Tampa Bay is expected to count on rookie Keionte Scott as the starting nickel in 2026, and there could be some growing pains. What better way to shore up the depth and help the rookie’s development than by bringing in a veteran with 65 career starts under his belt who also has experience in Bowles’ system as a nickel?
There are concerns about Murphy-Bunting’s ability to return to form after suffering a major knee injury last year, but the Bucs don’t need him to play at a starting-caliber level. They’d more so be bringing him in as a mentor with extensive knowledge of the defensive scheme that would be an asset in the position room.
It’s the exact type of move the Buccaneers should be exploring at this stage of the offseason. Murphy-Bunting will come at an affordable price and could add the veteran presence to the secondary that Tampa Bay is currently lacking. It’s not an addition that would garner headlines, but it would undoubtedly make the Bucs a better team as they look to return to playoff contention in 2026.
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