“I’m waiting on him to get his first one, and I know he’s waiting on it,” Foote said.
Bain appeared in the first two games but was not productive, then missed two weeks with a shoulder injury. Foote noted that the layoff during Weeks 3 and 4 helped him look much fresher in the Week 5 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
“Watching the Cowboys game, he looked better than he did the previous weeks,” Foote admitted. “He is coming around.”
Foote stressed that he wouldn’t use the injury as an excuse, but he did emphasize that Bain looked healthier and flashed signs of improvement in Week 5, including some productive rushes. “We are all going to deal with injuries, but he looked fresher last week. You saw it in the game. He is getting close. It is just day-by-day. You gotta block out the noise and keep growing in this league. You gotta develop at that position.”
Foote also suggested there was clear development in Week 5 that could translate into a sack in the near future.
Bain’s training camp performance earned him veteran treatment in the preseason, but Week 1 and Week 2 brought limited production. In Week 1, he faced Armarius Mims of the Bengals and looked unprepared, while Week 2 against the Browns yielded just two pressures across the two weeks. After missing two weeks, Bain did not record a pressure in his return but added a run stop and finished with a 70.5 overall grade.
Despite being behind his expected trajectory, the Buccaneers remain optimistic that Bain will catch up over time.
Currently, Bain has two pressures, ranking 10th among rookie edge rushers. By comparison, David Bailey leads the class with 20 pressures. Other rookies around Bain include second-rounder Derrick Moore and third-round edge Romello Height, who have four and five pressures, respectively.
Bain also holds a 7.4% pass rush win rate, tied for eighth among rookie edge rushers. Although Bailey’s win rate is similar, he has nearly 80 more rush attempts. Malachi Lawrence, Gabe Jacas, and other peers have varied win-rate figures, underscoring the competitive rookie landscape Bain is navigating.
With the team looking for more production, Bain will need to increase his disruptive plays to justify his draft status. The injury cannot be used as an excuse moving forward, and continued development in practice and in games will be essential for Bain to break out.
