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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Keionte Scott Developing into Bucs' Swiss-Army Knife

The fourth-round pick logged a career-best eight tackles and his first NFL sack against Pittsburgh as he continues to lock down the Bucs’ nickel role

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers 26-19 at Raymond James Stadium in Week Six. The Bucs' defense dominated for most of the game, allowing just three points through the first three quarters, but could not hold off a late Aaron Rodgers comeback that ended in an overtime win for the Black and Gold.

The pass rush led the way, keeping Rodgers under pressure for much of the day. Tampa Bay entered the game with just six sacks through five games and nearly matched that total in one afternoon, finishing with five against the Steelers. Several Bucs recorded their first sack of the season, including first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. and free-agent acquisition Al-Quadin Muhammad. Defensive back Keionte Scott also got his first after he made a habit of getting after quarterbacks in college, and is quickly establishing himself as an important piece of the Bucs' defensive system as a rookie.

Playing mostly out of the slot at Miami, Scott totaled 64 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks for a Hurricane unit that made it to the National Championship game. His ability to rush like a linebacker in the frame of a defensive back made him a valuable weapon throughout the 2025 season. Scott ended up being selected 116th overall in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, which was widely considered a steal for the Buccaneers. Early in camp, the rookie emerged as a candidate for the nickel corner spot and by Week One, he had locked down the job.

Since then, Scott has totaled 32 tackles, two tackles for loss, two passes defensed and a sack. He is coming off the best game of his career against Pittsburgh, in which he logged a season-high eight tackles and recorded a memorable first-career sack. With 4:08 left in the second quarter, Scott lined up on the right edge on first-and-10 and came free off the snap, bolting toward Rodgers untouched. He got there in an instant and dropped Rodgers as the crowd erupted.

Getting his first NFL sack against a future Hall of Famer was not lost on Scott, who called the moment special after the game.

"Talked to him after the game, got to clap up," Scott recounted. "That's someone I look at as one of the leaders of this game and one of the best to do it. So, to be able to get it on him was fun."

View the top images of Tampa Bay's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, October 18, 2026

Scott was not the only former Hurricane to get his first NFL sack. Just two plays later, Bain was able to bring Rodgers to the turf on third down. The two rookies are extremely close and Scott loved seeing it happen for his captain at Miami.

"We have constant talks," explained Scott. "Just tell him to keep chopping wood. To see it come down like that, now it's blood in the water for him. He's comfortable and just tell him to keep going at this point."

The rookie has PFF's third-highest run-defense grade at the cornerback position (90.4) and has provided another wrinkle in a complex defensive front that constantly demands opposing offenses to acclimate. Ahead of Week Six, Todd Bowles discussed how Scott has adapted to the NFL and he did not mince his words.

"'Key' [has] been one of our best players this year," Bowles said. "He doesn't say much. He's been very solid with his fundamentalist technique and he tackles way more than he weighs. He tackles almost like a linebacker. He's a very tough kid, wants to be good, wants to be great, extremely tough, puts in the work during the week. That's what you really like about him. He really studies and gets it down for Sunday and he executes well."

Despite the accomplishment and the high praise, Scott remains only focused on one thing: winning.

"Definitely exciting to get that [sack]," said Scott. "Just like I just spoke on, we want to win football games. I am a guy that's fully devoted and definitely want to be one of the guys to help the team do that. So, at this point, it's a good play. Got to watch film, clean some stuff up. Get back to the drawing board."

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