Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. was injured in joint practice, but should be ready to go by Week 1. Head coach Todd Bowles described the injury as "not serious."
Joint practices are a polarizing topic around the NFL, as the competition between the two teams is mainly positive, but also adds an increased risk of injury.
In the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' opening session with the Jacksonville Jaguars, standout rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. reportedly suffered and AC joint sprain in his shoulder, holding him out of Wednesday's practice.
While missing reps, especially for a rookie, is not ideal, Bain has made a strong impression throughout camp, dominating against the New York Jets in Tampa's first joint practices.
Head coach Todd Bowles also had positive remarks regarding Bain's injury, saying he should be good for Week 1.
Considering Bain was able to finish out yesterday's practice, the injury should be minor.
Following Bain's showing against the Jets in practice, he made his highly-anticipated preseason debut, where he graded in at an 88.8, putting him atop the list of Pro Football Focus' rookie grades.
This strong debut comes one week after Bain went viral for staying on the field following a grueling practice in the Florida summer heat.
Bain was seen getting in additional work by himself, setting up individual drills and going full speed for about an hour after practice ended.
Last Friday, Bain talked to ESPN's Jenna Laine about why he is putting in extra reps.
"I feel like in college most of my plays were made in the fourth quarter..." Bain said. "I know when I'm tired, the O-linemen are a little more tired than me."
Laine noted that ten of Bain's 20.5 sacks during his three seasons at Miami came in the fourth quarter, which stands along in that span.
He should be an instant impact player on Tampa's defensive line, which is desperately seeking more pressure on the edge.
Last season, Tampa's pass rush was among the bottom of the league, with a 19.8-percent pressure rate, per Pro Football Reference, ranking No. 25 in the NFL.
This number should be much improved with the addition of Bain, Al-Quadin Muhammad, and A'Shawn Robinson, who help fill out a young defensive line.
Locking down two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea is also a huge move to help out Bain, as the premier nose tackle eats up double teams and puts pressure on opposing guards and centers.
Keeping a player with Bain's mentality sidelined may be difficult, but the Bucs need to be at full force for their opening matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals' explosive offense.
