Bain (groin) cleared to play in Week 5

Both Bain and Mayfield were ruled out earlier this week. UDFA rookie Jalon Daniels will make his starting debut against the Packers.

The old NFC Central rivalry will not be renewed by rookie EDGE player Bain, who has now missed two weeks in a row and does not yet look close to returning.

Bain could be headed toward another game-day absence. Buccaneers LB Josiah Trotter (shoulder) is back on the practice field, though. The Buccaneers face the Packers in Week 4.

Both Bain and Trotter being out for the Bucs makes this matchup significantly easier for Kyler Murray and the Vikings offense. Tampa’s offense has struggled against the run too, meaning Aaron Jones should be in a good spot as the Vikings’ workhorse back with Jordan Mason sidelined.

Head coach Todd Bowles also ruled out LB Josiah Trotter (shoulder) for Sunday’s game. Bain has gotten off to a slow start for the Bucs so far, totaling just one sack while appearing on 76 defensive snaps. The rookie first-rounder will miss at least one game after being sidelined in practice all week. We’ll see if he can get on the field for Week 4’s game against the Packers.

The No. 15 overall pick has had a quiet start to the season, with a single combined tackle being his only contribution to the box score so far. Bain began the season playing through a shoulder injury and could now miss time with the groin issue.

Schefter said Bain, the 15th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, should be ready to go for Week 1 against the Bengals. Bain has wowed Bucs coaches and beat writers throughout the summer with his work ethic and intensity and should be a key part of a Tampa defense that struggled through parts of the 2025 season, allowing the league’s 11th highest offensive success rate. The Bucs ranked last in QB pressure rate last season. That should change with Bain in the lineup.

The deal is worth $23.76 million and includes a $13.74 million signing bonus. Bain should start right away after collecting 46 tackles, 16.5 TFLs and 8.5 sacks in his final season at Miami. The Buccaneers’ pass rush totaled 41 sacks last season, tying for 16th in the league. Bain’s slight Day 1 slide was fortuitous for Tampa Bay.

Tampa could use a versatile pass rusher after ranking dead last in QB pressure rate last season. Bain Jr. (6’2/263) put together a complete, high-impact season as the centerpiece of Miami’s front, finishing with 46 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks while posting an elite 90.9 percent tackle rate. His 21 havoc plays made him one of the most disruptive defenders in the nation, as evidenced by his 79.3 percent run-tackle rate and eight credited run stops. As a pass rusher, Bain generated a staggering 80 total pressures, good for a sterling 13.1 percent pressure rate, while creating 10 sacks overall and forcing a fumble in the process. He consistently won early in downs, recording a first pressure on 45 snaps with an average time-to-pressure of 2.71 seconds, underscoring his explosiveness off the ball. While he didn’t test at the Combine, much debate was had about his 30 ⅞” arms that are the third-shortest ever recorded for an EDGE player. Taken together, Bain’s profile reflects a tenacious, every-down defensive end who combined power, effort, and finishing ability to anchor one of the nation’s most stingy defensive fronts.

Rapoport cautioned viewers, saying he is not making any predictions, before listing Ohio State S Caleb Downs, Ohio State LB Sonny Styles and Miami EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. as potential options. An ESPN report from earlier this month indicated the Commanders are focused on improving the pass defense this year. Adding any of the three players listed above would go a long way toward that end.