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Buccaneers Have Veteran CB Poached Off Practice Squad
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- Buccaneers Have Veteran CB Poached Off Practice Squad
(USA TODAY Sports)
Right after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made their initial 53-man roster before the season started, they brought back a familiar face to the practice squad in cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting.
The Bucs' initial roster had only five cornerbacks , four of whom were either rookies (Keionte Scott, Ayden Garnes) or in their second season (Jacob Parrish, Benjamin Morrison).
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When Murphy-Bunting was added to the practice squad, he not only added valuable, experienced depth to Tampa's cornerback group, but he also brought back fond memories of the Bucs' Super Bowl LV championship.
On Monday, however, the Pittsburgh Steelers poached Murphy-Bunting from Tampa's practice squad and signed him to their 53-man roster.
The Steelers find themselves lacking at the cornerback position after trading top CB Joey Porter Jr . to the Dallas Cowboys and with the ankle injury suffered by Jamel Dean, whom they also signed away from the Bucs in free agency.
Dean is expected to miss multiple weeks.
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Murphy-Bunting's Legacy In Tampa
Murphy-Bunting will always have a legacy in Tampa. He was outstanding during the Bucs' march through the playoffs that culminated in the franchise's second Super Bowl title.
Murphy-Bunting was Tampa's second-round pick in 2019 and quickly became a key component of the Bucs' defense. He etched his name into Bucs' lore by notching three interceptions during Tampa's playoff run, which ended in a Super Bowl LV victory. His interception of Aaron Rodgers set up Tom Brady's 39-yard touchdown pass to Scotty Miller right before halftime of the NFC Championship Game.
He would leave Tampa to join the Tennessee Titans for the 2023 season before signing with the Arizona Cardinals the following year. A serious knee injury suffered in March ended Murphy-Bunting's 2025 season before it began. The Cardinals released him at cutdowns, leading to his Tampa return.
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The loss of Murphy-Bunting comes at a very bad time for the Bucs. Not only is the season looking lost after Tampa's 0-4 start, but second-year CB Benjamin Morrison is dealing with yet another injury, continuing his early-career struggles with staying healthy.
Morrison missed the Bucs' Week 4 loss with a calf injury and was unable to practice on Monday as Tampa prepares for its Thursday Night Football showdown on the road against the Cowboys.
Final Thoughts
It is somewhat surprising that the Bucs didn't sign Murphy-Bunting to their own 53-man roster, especially after Morrison's latest injury.
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The loss of Murphy-Bunting is a blow to Tampa's secondary depth. The team is desperately attempting to keep the season on life support, if it still has any life left at all, and may regret not finding a way to keep Murphy-Bunting.
