Oct 13, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers helmet against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Former Buccaneers Super Bowl champion to miss entire 2025 season

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI
By Dustin Lewis | Last updated May 23, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Injuries can derail a player's season or career at a moment's notice. The unexpected can become reality in an instant.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers know about the injury bug quite well. The team was bitten time and time again last fall as injuries piled up at wide receiver and in the defensive backfield, along with various other positions.

On Thursday, the Arizona Cardinals placed former Buccaneers cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting on the reserve/non-football injury list. The designation means Murphy-Bunting will miss the entirety of the 2025 season which is obviously disappointing news for the NFL veteran.

The nature and cause of Murphy-Bunting's injury remain to be revealed. Last year, he signed a three-year/$25.50 million deal with the Cardinals. Murphy-Bunting led the team with three interceptions in 2024, adding 52 tackles, three tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and five pass deflections in 15 starts.

The #AZCardinals have placed CB Sean Murphy-Bunting on the reserve/non-football injury list, ending his 2025 season before it began.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 22, 2025

Murphy-Bunting was originally selected by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He spent four seasons in Tampa Bay with most of that time coming as a starter and a member of the rotation.

In 2020, Murphy-Bunting had the most productive campaign of his career as the Buccaneers won Super Bowl LV during Tom Brady's first year with the franchise. Murphy-Bunting saw action in 16 games and made 13 starts, totaling 70 tackles, three tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, three pass deflections, and an interception. He saved his best for the playoffs as he picked off three passes and deflected five more in the team's four postseason games that year.

Murphy-Bunting lost his starting role and dealt with various injuries in 2022, leading the Buccaneers to part ways with him in free agency. He inked a one-year deal with the Tennessee Titans before his most recent stop in Arizona.

During his six years at the professional level, Murphy-Bunting has appeared in 82 games and made 65 starts. He's totaled 297 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, one sack, eight forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 34 pass deflections, and 11 interceptions, including one of which he returned for a touchdown.