The NFL will drop its entire 2026 season game schedule on Thursday night. A few standout games have already been revealed, such as the least-surprising Week One Sunday Night Football matchup in history: the New York Giants against the Dallas Cowboys. Where have we heard that one before? Some other information has leaked, such as an apparent Thursday-nighter sending the Detroit Lions to the Buffalo Bills in Week Two (more on that below).
As of Tuesday, however, we know nothing particularly salient about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 17-game slate. Which is why the whole situation is ripe for speculation. In recent years, I've personally tried to guess the Buccaneers' Week One game during schedule-release week, and it's been a while since I've gotten it right. Last year, my three stabs at it were the Rams on the road and the Panthers and Jets at home. Nope. It was a road trip to Atlanta that started things off.
So, this year, a new approach. Staff Writer/Reporter Brianna Dix, Buccaneers.com Contributor Gabriel Kahaian and I are going to do a series of Roundtable discussions after the schedule drops to sort out the details, but we're also doing one before the cat is out of the bag. This year, rather than three predictions from me you'll get one from each of us and we'll see who made the best guess.
First of all, these are the options, all 17 opponents the Bucs will play in the 2026 regular season:
Home – Atlanta, Carolina, Cleveland, Green Bay, L.A. Chargers, L.A. Rams, Minnesota, New Orleans, Pittsburgh
Away - Atlanta, Baltimore, Carolina, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Detroit, New Orleans
Ah, but wait. It's not really 17 possibilities this year, for reasons that Gabe will explain below. We each really have a one-in-seven chance of being right, so it's going to be pretty embarrassing if we miss all three. No pressure. So, Gabe, lay out the scenario, and let us know which game you are picking. We will not be duplicating picks so order of selection matters and Bri will go second.
View photos from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers participating in 2026 Rookie Minicamp on May 9, 2026 at AdventHealth Training Center.
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2026 - Day 2 of 2026 Rookie Minicamp. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Gabriel Kahaian: at Carolina
As Scott mentioned in the intro, we really only have seven possible Week One options. Why, you may ask. The process of elimination does a lot of heavy lifting.
If you take a look ahead on the calendar, you will find that there will be '24K Magic in the air' on September 12 and 13 when Bruno Mars is on tour at Raymond James Stadium. That happens to be the same weekend as the start of the regular season, taking any possibility of a home opener off the table for the Bucs. Additionally, the Dallas Cowboys are slated to face the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football in Week 1. Just like that, more than half the field is gone.
This is where you have to trust your gut. I am eliminating the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals from the equation. Tampa Bay has not opened a season against an AFC franchise since 2015 when Jameis Winston and the Tennessee Titans' Marcus Mariota went head-to-head in their first career game. I am throwing out the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints, both of which have had three-straight home games to start their seasons. I am also going to pass on the Atlanta Falcons since we were on the road in Atlanta to start the 2025 season and I would assume the storyline of Baker Mayfield facing off against his former head coach during his time in Cleveland would pack prime-time potential. When choosing between the Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions, the choice was pretty clear from there.
The Panthers won the NFC South last year, and starting with a divisional battle between the two teams vying for the top spot makes for an interesting watch. Head Coach Dave Canales also has history with the Buccaneers, serving as their offensive coordinator in 2023. Additionally, you have the class of 2025's two best wide receivers facing off with Tetairoa McMillan and Emeka Egbuka. My smoking gun is the fact that Carolina has spent the past three seasons opening on the road and they are due for a home opener. I envision the Buccaneers heading to Charlotte on the 13th of September to kickoff 2026.
And with that, I rest my case. Let's hear from Bri!
Brianna Dix: at Atlanta
Last season, the Atlanta Falcons were considered the Buccaneers' biggest threat during the offseason. Instead of Atlanta dethroning the Bucs, who had won four-straight division titles heading into 2025, it was the Panthers who skated out on top of the NFC South.
Not only will this matchup create buzz with Kevin Stefanski as the Falcons' 20th head coach and his history with Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield in Cleveland, but also because of Bucs' new Offensive Coordinator Zac Robinson facing his old team. After two seasons in the offensive coordinator post with the Falcons, Robinson will field his retooled offense in Week One. Despite the Bucs opening the 2025 season on the road in Week One against Atlanta, the league often operates on course of habit.
In both 2021 and 2022, the Buccaneers kicked off the regular season in a battle with the Dallas Cowboys. NFC South rivalries run deep and what is better than a good old-fashioned interdivision clash to begin the 2026 slate?
The Bucs lost the division last season on a tiebreaker to Carolina and the club has since bolstered the defense with a plethora of weapons on both the defensive line and the middle at inside linebacker with Rueben Bain Jr., Al-Quadin Muhammad, Alez Anzalone, A'Shawn Robinson and Josiah Trotter. There are many clubs lining the 2026 docket that I could have gone with for this road matchup but I am going to go with my gut feeling and select the Falcons.
The last six games between these two teams have been decided by six points or less and six games have gone into overtime, with Atlanta holding a 4-2 edge. These games are always chippyand another one would kick off the 2026 season in thrilling fashion.
Scott Smith: at Detroit
One of the reasons I'm predicting the Bucs' 2026 season will begin with yet another trip to the Motor City is to keep myself from making another prediction that I have been pushing for years now, to no avail. The Buccaneers have only played on Thanksgiving Day once, in 2006 at Dallas, and it seems like they are way overdue for another shot at a postgame turkey leg.
This season, the Bucs have road games at both of the traditional hosting cities on Thanksgiving, Dallas and Detroit, so it's tempting to make that prediction one more time. However, it has already been revealed that the Eagles will be visiting Dallas on Thanksgiving this year, so that leaves only Detroit (plus, I suppose, the more fluid third game of that day, but I'm not hopeful on that front). Yes, this is an attempt at a reverse jinx. If I pick Detroit as the Bucs' Week One opponent, that game can't also be on Thanksgiving.
Instead, I'm thinking about the recent history between the Bucs and Lions, which has been quite entertaining, and where both teams stand coming into 2026. Both were considered likely playoffparticipants in 2025, but both fell just a bit short. There are reasons to think that both could get back to being prime postseason contenders this year. The Buccaneers are currently the betting favorites to win the NFC South – they tied for the division lead in 2025 but lost to Carolina on a tiebreaker – and some very interesting upgrades to the team's biggest weakness, edge rusher, make them an intriguing bounce-back option. Detroit is also currently the betting favorite to win the NFC North, though the competition there is stiff and the odds are close.
The Bucs and Lions have played each other six times in the last seven seasons, five of them in Detroit. That includes a thrilling 31-23 Lions win in the Divisional Playoff Round in the 2023 season and a big revenge-game win for the Bucs at Ford Field the following regular season. It has become a seriously entertaining cross-division rivalry, sort of like the Bucs and Rams when those two teams were both perennial playoff contenders in the late '90s and early 2000s. Seems like a good way to kick off the season for both teams and for the NFL to spike its Week One lineup with a semi-marquee game.
Also, as noted, Detroit is heading to Buffalo on Thursday night in Week Two. It makes sense to give them a home game on a Sunday in Week One. We know it won't be the Sunday night contest, so at worst it would be a late-afternoon game. This eases the short-week burden for the Lions.
