The Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ second-year cornerback Benjamin Morrison is entering a crucial year after being injured and struggling as a rookie. However, he was injured for most of training camp, and he entered Week 1 as a backup.
Starting outside cornerback Jacob Parrish was hurt 20 snaps into the game, and it caused the team to lean on Morrison for 43 snaps. Morrison was great in the Bucs Week 1 loss. He recorded a pass breakup and a tackle for loss as one of his four tackles.
Head coach Todd Bowles praised the former second-round pick for stepping in on the fly.
“Bucs HC Todd Bowles says that Benjamin Morrison played a heck of a ball game when he came into it. He prepared well and didn’t miss a beat when he went in,” tweeted Pewter Report.
Morrison spent most of the day against star receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. However, he allowed one catch for -4 yards against Chase. He blew up a screen for a tackle for loss. Morrison did allow 29 yards to Higgins on one reception, but for the entire game, he allowed 34 yards.
According to PFF, he had a 78.5 grade. This was the third-highest grade of any Bucs player. This was also the highest-graded game of his career. It might make the team debate what to do with him moving forward.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Get Strong Performance From Benjamin Morrison in Week 1
Morrison had the talent of a first-round pick. However, hamstring, hip, and knee injuries have held him back. They are why he fell to the second round 2, of the 2025 NFL Draft. They are also why he did not play as much as expected as a rookie.
Morrison struggled when he did see the field. His best PFF grade entering 2026 was 70.4. He was picked on and did not look physical enough to hold up in the NFL. That looked completely different in Week 1.
Now, the question is whether he can continue to see the field because Parrish is not expected to be out for long.
Buccaneers Have Big Decision to Make With Benjamin Morrison
Morrison missed most of the preseason with injuries. So, the team moved Parrish from the slot to the outside. Then, they moved rookie Keionte Scott into the starting lineup. Scott was not quite as impactful as Morrison, but he still played well.
The Bucs flirted with the idea of starting Parrish on the outside, then sliding him inside on nickel snaps. Morrison would come in and play on the outside. The versatility of Parrish becomes more valuable here.
If Morrison were healthy, that might have been the plan already. He looked good enough to continue to start. However, they might not want to pull the rookie after a strong debut.
It will be interesting to see who ascends in the secondary over the next few weeks. If the Bucs can turn Morrison into a hit, it would be a huge win.
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