Tampa Bay Buccaneers
spent much of the offseason searching for more depth at cornerback, and they found it by bringing back a familiar face. Former Buccaneers cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting is returning to Tampa Bay on the practice squad, with an opportunity to work his way onto the 53-man roster. The reunion comes after the Arizona Cardinals released the 29-year-old, who missed the entire 2025 season while recovering from a torn ACL.For Tampa Bay, the move is about more than simply adding another body to the secondary. Zyon McCollum and Jacob Parrish enter the season as the projected starters on the outside, while Benjamin Morrison, Ayden Garnes and rookie Keionte Scott round out a young cornerback room. The Buccaneers kept only five corners
on their initial 53man roster, making experienced depth one of the obvious areas that still needed to be addressed. Murphy-Bunting has 65 career starts and already knows Todd Bowles' defense from his first four seasons in Tampa Bay. He was also at his best during the Buccaneers' 2020 Super Bowl run, recording an interception in each of Tampa Bay's first three playoff games. His versatility could be just as important. Murphy-Bunting has experience playing both outside and in the slot, giving Bowles another option if injuries hit or one of Tampa Bay's younger corners struggles.
Scott has an opportunity to establish himself in the slot, while Morrison and Garnes are still trying to carve out consistent roles. There is still some uncertainty surrounding what Murphy-Bunting can provide after missing an entire season with a significant knee injury. At 29, Tampa Bay isn't necessarily getting the same player who helped the franchise win Super Bowl LV, but this time they don't need him to be. If Murphy-Bunting proves he is healthy, the Buccaneers now have an experienced corner who can step into multiple roles without having to learn Bowles' defense from scratch. For a secondary relying heavily on young players its insurance and it could make the competition at cornerback much more interesting as the regular season begins.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Sean Murphy-Bunting returns to Buccaneers
