Gerald McCoy has been in Rueben Bain's shoes and wonders if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are getting the most out of their first-round pick.
Bain has had a rough first month in the NFL. After sterling reports in training camp and preseason, it was expected that the former Miami Hurricanes All-American defensive lineman would start the season firing on all cylinders.
But instead, Bain has been struggling to adjust to the pro game and has registered just one tackle and no QB hurries in the two games he has played. Bain missed the Bucs' 23-16 loss to the Vikings in Week 3 with a groin injury and his status for Sunday's game against the Packers is unknown.
McCoy believes that coaching might be the issue.
"I don't know if it's schematic or what, but we've got to find a way to generate a pass rush. I know there are certain things that are being coached that I wouldn't coach," he said. "Rueben Bain . . . he's dropping a lot. You drafted him in the top 15 to generate a pass rush. A lot of people thought he was a steal, and you haven't established him at what he does best yet."
Like myself, Bucs legend Gerald McCoy (@Geraldini93) thought the Bucs would be good this year. He goes DEEP on why they haven't been. Haven't heard a better explanation than this.
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) September 29, 2026
"I heard some things that are being taught to these guys and I say 'that's not going to work.'" pic.twitter.com/PQFiBwYIUF
Gerald McCoy stands up for Rueben Bain amid early struggles
McCoy is a bit of a fire starter and has alienated his former teammates in Tampa with some of his past comments and antics on social media, but these comments are on the money. There are some things that probably need to happen with Bain in the long term, including a move to the interior, where his pass-rush skills would be better served, but for now, there are a few adjustments Tampa Bay could make to help Bain out.
Bain has been used mostly as a traditional edge in more of a stand-up role, which is a lot different than what he was doing at Miami. He's put his hand in the ground and lined up at the wide nine too, but in those situations the quarterback has gotten the ball out of his hands well before Bain could fight through the tackle to apply pressure.
McCoy's heart seems to be in the right place with this criticism. It's coming at a rough time for Bain and head coach Todd Bowles because the Bucs are 0-3, and some people are already writing off Bain's season. The first step is for him to get healthy, and once that happens, let's see if the Bucs take McCoy's suggestions and get Bain in a better position to contribute and meet the expectations he had coming into the season.
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