The 2026 Draft is in the books and now the NFL is moving on from one tentpole event to the next. On Friday, the league revealed the date on which it would release its full 2026 game schedule: Thursday, May 14.
A handful of games, such as the first-ever NFL contest to be held in Australia on Thursday, Sept. 10 between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams, have already been announced. On May 13, however, all 272 games across the 18 weeks of the 2026 season will be revealed during a special schedule release show on NFL Network, including a record nine international contests, the full Thanksgiving week slate and a Christmas Day tripleheader.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' list of opponents in 2026 have already been determined. They include the usual home-and-away series with NFC South foes Atlanta, Carolina and New Orleans, plus home contests against Green Bay, Minnesota, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and both Los Angeles teams, the Chargers and Rams. The Bucs other road games include trips to Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, Cincinnati and Dallas. It is the NFC's turn to host all the interconference "17th games" this year, so Tampa Bay will have nine home dates and eight road outings.
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There are several interesting questions regarding how the Buccaneers' 2026 schedule will shape up, such as:
Will it include any games overseas?
As of yet, the Buccaneers have not been linked to any of the nine international games this season. The team's last game outside of the United States was a 2022 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Munich, Germany.
How many prime-time games will be on Tampa Bay's schedule?
Since the 2020 season, the Buccaneers have been scheduled for an average of exactly four prime-time games per year, including exactly four in each of the past two years. However, the Bucs' streak of postseason appearances was snapped last year.
When will the Bucs' home opener occur?
Tampa Bay has only started its season at home once in the last four seasons, and in two of those four years the team actually started with a pair of road outings.
Where will the intradivision games be concentrated?
In 2025, the Buccaneers opened with a game at Atlanta but then did not play another game against an NFC South opponent until Week Eight. Four of the Bucs' five final games last season were against division foes.
Will the Bucs be included in the Thanksgiving Day schedule this season?
Tampa Bay has only played on Thanksgiving once, at Dallas in 2006. It's worth noting that the Bucs' 2026 schedule includes road games at both Dallas and Detroit, which annually host two of the three Thanksgiving games.
