The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will open their 2026 NFL regular season at the Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Sept. 14, and there could be an offensive explosion when Baker Mayfield and his young wide receiver crew battle Joe Burrow and one of the NFL's best wide receiver duos in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
But even though all eyes will be on the offensive players, it will be the defensive players that decide this sort of a game. Tampa native Trey Hendrickson is no longer a factor on the Bengals side after he moved to their AFC North rivals, the Baltimore Ravens, this offseason, so the most impactful pass rusher and X-Factor in this game could actually be on the Buccaneers for a change.
Rookie pass rusher Rueben Bain Jr. already looks like an absolute terror off the edge, and he is going to be the best pass rusher at the position that the Buccaneers have had in years, even as a rookie.
Rueben Bain Jr. could solve Tampa Bay Buccaneers' pressure problem
The Bucs had no way of putting pressure on the quarterback last season other than big man in the middle Vita Vea performing Herculean feats of strength to move the pile, and now they have Bain, a comic book villain to opposing quarterbacks.
Joe Burrow is a big, big fish to catch, and players like Bain Jr. who work extra hard after practice on their craft are the sorts of characters who absolutely relish the chance to bring a quarterback like Burrow with all the attention he gets to his knees.
You used to hear stories about the real elite players back in the day just wait all week long to get their hands on a Tom Brady or a Peyton Manning, and Rueben Bain Jr. has a chance to make a household name out of himself on day one by putting a former Super Bowl quarterback into the ground.
The Buccaneers' defense needs Bain to have a big season, and that all starts with a big game against the Cincinnati Bengals tortured offensive line and their uber talented but embattled quarterback. Bain Jr. will want to do anything in his power to sack, terrorize, and eviscerate Burrow, making the hyped look human in Week 1 as he helps Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers prove that they are still Super Bowl sleepers, which was their status last season until injuries totally derailed their campaign.
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