With offseason preparations in full swing, fans are starting to look forward to the 2026 NFL season. For Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans, rookie pass rusher Rueben Bain Jr. is the offseason addition that has Bucs fans buzzing.
Jason Licht and Co. were thrilled when Bain was still available at No. 15 overall, and now he’s expected to play in a key role in Todd Bowles’s defense. The Bucs recently surprised Bane with a custom facemask that pays tribute to Bane from “The Dark Knight Rises,” and the NFL world loved it.
Buccaneers Rookie Rueben Bain Jr. Makes Waves With Bane-Inspired Facemask
Bain dominated at the collegiate level, and he’s aiming to do the same in the NFL. The Buccaneers’ video shows Bain checking out the custom facemask, which was inspired by the mask that the iconic Batman villain Bane wears.
The Bucs staffer explained that this facemask was previously worn by Super Bowl champion William Gholston, who has since transitioned to coaching.
“Nobody on the team wears that,” the staffer explained as Bain checked it out.
Bain 🤝 Bane pic.twitter.com/yC1pCzfEEG
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) May 20, 2026
Here’s a look at Gholston wearing the Bane-themed facemask during the 2024 season:
The NFL world loved the idea of Bain rocking this custom facemask.
“This is crazy tough,” the Jacksonville Jaguars’ senior manager of art direction Devin Carvajal wrote.
“Bruh that’s so hard,” another user posted.
“If Rueben Bain wears the ‘Bane’ facemask you can forget about DROY, this app would give him MVP instantly,” FanDuel’s Zach Cohen tweeted.
If Rueben Bain wears the “Bane” facemask you can forget about DROY, this app would give him MVP instantly https://t.co/7lbS2KFbq5
— Zach Cohen (@ZachCohenFB) May 20, 2026
Bain waged war on opposing offenses in his final year with the Miami Hurricanes, posting a 82.7 PFSN EGDE Impact rating while totaling 9.5 sacks, 15.5 tackles for a loss, and a forced fumble.
“The rest of the NFL just got TERRIBLE NEWS,” Chat Sports’ Jack Sperry tweeted.
Some NFL fans started sharing their favorite Bane quotes from “The Dark Knight Rises” in response to the Bucs’ video.
“No one cared who I was until I put on the mask,” one user said.
“What will break first? Your mind, or your body?” another asked, referencing the villain’s words to Batman.
Bain looks like a potential steal at No. 15 overall, as he was projected to go earlier in many mock drafts. Here as PFSN’s scouting report of Bain describes an edge rusher who’s capable of dominating from Day 1.
“With his power and raw strength, Bain can sledge through tackles and overwhelm 1-on-1 as a pass-rusher, but he also has the hyper-elite sturdiness to absorb combo and duo blocks in the run game, and sets an edge with unflinching consistency,” PFSN’s NFL draft analyst Ian Cummings wrote. “While power is Bain’s primary mode, he has a deep pass-rush bag and smooth upper-lower synergy, superb strength, IQ, and pursuit range in run defense.”
Bain is already emerging as a fan favorite in Tampa Bay, and it will be interesting to see if he decides to wear the custom facemask.
