Tampa Bay Buccaneers News & Rumors

Buccaneers cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting has suffered a dislocated elbow, head coach Bruce Arians announced (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Arians said he’s “going to be alright,” so Murphy-Bunting should be able to return before the season is through. 

Murphy-Bunting suffered the gruesome injury in the first half as he tried to prevent a touchdown from CeeDee Lamb. The Bucs went on to beat the Cowboys 31-29, but they also allowed 400+ yards passing in the process.

The 24-year-old played in all 16 games last year with 13 starts. He turned in 70 stops, three passes defensed, and one interception. As shown by the Bucs’ swiss cheese D on Thursday night, he’s crucial to the defending champs’ secondary.

Ross Cockrell stepped into Murphy-Bunting’s spot last night. It’s likely that he’ll serve as a Week 2 starter for the Bucs when they face the Falcons in Tampa on Sunday 9/19. Beyond that, the Buccaneers will probably consider some out-of-house reinforcements. Even in a best case scenario, Murphy-Bunting is probably looking at two months of rehab.

Buccaneers defensive back Sean Murphy-Bunting suffered an elbow injury during tonight’s season opener that will sideline him for at least the rest of the game. The team announced that Murphy-Bunting has been ruled out for the rest of the contest.

Murphy-Bunting suffered the injury in the first quarter in a play that saw Dak Prescott connect with CeeDee Lamb for a touchdown. The defensive back was seen holding his shoulder and arm while retreating back to the locker room.

Some pundits have speculated that Murphy-Bunting suffered a dislocated elbow, an injury that would likely sidelined the 24-year-old for a handful of games. Of course, we’ll learn more over the upcoming days about the player’s status moving forward.

Unfortunately for the Buccaneers, their cornerbacks depth isn’t a strength. Ross Cockrell moved to the nickle following the injury, with Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean playing the outside.

Murphy-Bunting, a 2019 second-round pick, has started 23 of his 32 games since entering the NFL. He had a career season in 2020, finishing with 70 tackles, three passes defended, and one interception. He also came up big during the playoffs, collecting three interceptions in four games.