The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are facing the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, and when they do, they'll see two familiar faces.
One of those faces is very familiar, because he was a Buccaneer two weeks ago. Cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting was on Tampa Bay's practice squad at the start of the season, but now he's on the Steelers' 53-man roster after Pittsburgh signed him two weeks ago.
Murphy-Bunting will reunite with the other familiar face, and that's cornerback Jamel Dean. Both of them won a Super Bowl with the Bucs in 2020, but Dean played with the Bucs until 2025. He hit free agency afterward and signed with Pittsburgh, and now, he's already making his homecoming to Tampa Bay after seven seasons with the Bucs.
Dean will have to go up against players he was teammates with just last year. This week, he's spoken on what it will mean to return to Tampa Bay — and how he's been helping the Steelers out.
Jamel Dean Talks Return to Raymond James Stadium
Dean spoke to Penn Live reporter Nick Farabaugh about returning to Tampa Bay. Dean called it a "bittersweet moment", and he seems particularly excited to go up against his former head coach and defensive coordinator, Todd Bowles.
“It kinda feels like it’s going to be student finally going against the teacher. I can’t wait to see how everything unravels," Dean said. "It’ll be a bittersweet moment for me. When I go into the stadium, hopefully I don’t go on autopilot and walk into their locker room.”
That's not all, though. According to ESPN reporter Brooke Pryor, Dean has also been trying to give the offense some tips on how to go up against Bowles' defense — he just doesn't think he'll be much of a help against his former head coach.
"I gave [the Steelers offense] little nuggets of what could possibly happen," Dean said. "But knowing [Bowles], he's probably planning for this right now, so won't be much use."
Dean has played good football so far this year. He's already had two forced fumbles, 14 combined tackles and he hasn't allowed a passing touchdown yet this season.
The Bucs will reunite with Dean when they play the Steelers at 1 p.m. on Sunday, but they'll hope he goes back to Pittsburgh with a loss as Tampa Bay tries to move to 2-4 on the year.
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