Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie first-rounder Rueben Bain Jr. suffered a groin injury on Sunday, throwing his status for Week 3 in the air.
Despite high expectations, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' top draft pick, Rueben Bain Jr. has gotten off too a slow start through his first two NFL games.
Bain has just one tackle, generating only a 2.6% pass rush win rate.
Following Sunday's shocking loss against the Cleveland Browns, head coach Todd Bowles addressed Bain's lack of pressure, while suggesting he may not be "completely healthy."
On Wednesday, this was confirmed, Bain was held out of practice with a groin injury.
Bowles said the injury occurred against the Browns, throwing his status for Week 3 in the air.
While slow starts are not uncommon for highly-drafted ends, the offseason Bain had suggested he would make an immediate impact.
Bain didn't play much in the preseason, but had very strong joint practices against the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars.
He did suffer an AC joint sprain in a practice with Jacksonville, but this injury is unrelated.
It is much too early to sound the alarm about Bain's lack of production, but an injury surely won't help.
Coming into the season, multiple Bucs legends predicted big things out of the gate from Bain, with the Super Bowl winning pair of Jon Gruden and Ronde Barber each hailing the Miami standout as the next franchise great.
With Bain's strong work ethic he demonstrated in the offseason, rehabbing a minor injury should be no trouble.
He should also see improvements as Tampa's defense settles in as a whole.
Through two weeks, Bowles' unit has struggled mightily, with missed tackles and lost assignments being a common theme.
This continued lack of focus and inability to get off the field on third downs down the stretch continues to add fire to Bowles' seat.
Luckily, rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter has been a bright spot in the middle of Tampa's defense, recording 25 total tackles, an interception, and a sack through two games.
In Week 1, Trotter became the first player in NFL history to record 10 or more tackles, a sack, and a pick-six in their debut, keeping the Bucs afloat despite offensive turnovers.
He followed this up with a 13-tackle showing against Cleveland, leading all players in takedowns.
Getting Bain healthy should be the priority, and Trotter's play has definitely picked up some of the slack.
But, going forward, longer-tenured players like Al-Quadin Muhammad and Yaya Diaby will need to step up.
The Bucs host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, with the speedy Kyler Murray returning to his post.
If Bain can go, taking a cautious approach with his snap count will be in effect, but the Bucs desperately need a win.
With his competitive nature, Bain will be working towards being able to play.
