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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

5 Things to Know About the Bucs' 2026 Schedule 

The Bucs 2026 NFL schedule is here. Discover the top key matchups dates and highlights every Tampa fan needs to know

5 THINGS TO KNOW-SCHEDULE

Three Prime-Time Games

1. The Buccaneers were allotted three prime-time slots in 2026, including a Thursday Night Football matchup with the Dallas Cowboys in Week Five, a Sunday Night Football clash with the Chicago Bears in Week Nine and a Monday Night Football division rivalry game with the Carolina Panthers in Week 12.

Bye Week Placement

2. The Bucs bye week fell at an optimal mid-season place in Week 10. Tampa Bay has nine matchups prior to the refresh period and eight games after. The Bucs will enter the bye after the Sunday Night Football showdown with the Bears and the club will travel to Detroit to take on the Lions at Ford Field in Week 11 after the bye.

Week One Opponent

3. The Buccaneers will open the 2026 season on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals at 1:00 p.m. ET. Tampa Bay will have their first home game at Raymond James Stadium in Week Two against the Cleveland Browns, as Baker Mayfield faces the team that drafted him back in 2018. The Bucs will play the AFC North, beginning with the Bengals in Week One and finishing with the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14.

Back-to-Back Home Games

4. Following the road game to start the 2026 docket, Tampa Bay has three back-to-back home games from Weeks 2-4 against the Browns, Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers. For the most part, the Bucs have an evenly dispersed schedule with no consecutive road games lining the slate.

NFC North Showdown

5. In addition to the AFC North, the Bucs will play the NFC North, including the Vikings in Week Three, the Packers in Week Four, the Bears in Week Nine and the Lions in Week 11. Tampa Bay will host the Vikings and Packers, then head to Soldier Field to take on the Bears and Ford Field to battle the Lions.

Full 2026 Buccaneers Schedule

The full 2026 Buccaneers schedule—including all matchups, kickoff times, primetime games, and game-by-game breakdowns—is available in the official Schedule Release Hub.

Explore the full schedule & matchups here.

View the Bucs' 2026 matchups in photos. Browse matchup images week by week from the latest Tampa Bay Buccaneers schedule release.

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August 14

7:00 PM ET

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Week 2

September 20

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Week 3

September 27

4:05 PM ET

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Week 4

October 4

1:00 PM ET

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Week 6

October 18

1:00 PM ET

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Week 8

November 1

1:00 PM ET

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Week 12

November 30

8:15 PM ET

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Week 13

December 6

1:00 PM ET

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Week 15

December 20

1:00 PM ET

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Week 17

January 3

Time TBD

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