The 2026 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Schedule features a Thursday Night Football road game at Dallas, Sunday Night Football on the road at Chicago, Monday Night Football at home against Carolina, and a home slate at Raymond James Stadium that includes Cleveland, Minnesota, Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, the LA Chargers, New Orleans, and the LA Rams. Three preseason games warm things up before a 17-game regular season that opens on the road in Cincinnati and closes with three consecutive TBA-date games in the final three weeks.
2026 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preseason Schedule
Tampa Bay opens on the road at the Jets before returning home for a prime-time preseason matchup against Kansas City, then closes with a road trip to Jacksonville.
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Aug 14 | at New York Jets | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ | 7:00 pm | NFLN/Local |
| Sat, Aug 22 | vs Kansas City Chiefs | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL | 7:30 pm | ESPN App |
| Fri, Aug 28 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, FL | 7:30 pm | Local |
The Kansas City home preseason game on August 22 is the most visible of the three exhibitions — a Friday night matchup against the AFC’s premier franchise on ESPN App. The Jacksonville road closer on August 28 is a familiar AFC South rivalry trip that gives Tampa Bay a genuine competitive tune-up before Week 1.
2026 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Regular Season Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, Sep 13 | at Cincinnati Bengals | Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, OH | 1:00 pm | FOX |
| Sun, Sep 20 | vs Cleveland Browns | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL | 1:00 pm | CBS |
| Sun, Sep 27 | vs Minnesota Vikings | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL | 4:05 pm | FOX |
| Sun, Oct 4 | vs Green Bay Packers | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL | 1:00 pm | FOX |
| Thu, Oct 8 | at Dallas Cowboys | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX | 8:15 pm | Prime Video |
| Sun, Oct 18 | vs Pittsburgh Steelers | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL | 1:00 pm | CBS |
| Sun, Oct 25 | at Carolina Panthers | Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC | 1:00 pm | FOX |
| Sun, Nov 1 | vs Atlanta Falcons | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL | 1:00 pm | FOX |
| Sun, Nov 8 | at Chicago Bears | Soldier Field, Chicago, IL | 8:20 pm | NBC/Peacock |
| Sun, Nov 15 | BYE | — | — | — |
| Sun, Nov 22 | at Detroit Lions | Ford Field, Detroit, MI | 1:00 pm | CBS |
| Mon, Nov 30 | vs Carolina Panthers | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL | 8:15 pm | ESPN |
| Sun, Dec 6 | vs LA Chargers | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL | 1:00 pm | CBS |
| Sun, Dec 13 | at Baltimore Ravens | M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD | 1:00 pm | FOX |
| Sun, Dec 20 | vs New Orleans Saints | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL | 1:00 pm | FOX |
| Sat/Sun, Dec 26/27 | at Atlanta Falcons | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA | TBA | TBA |
| Sat/Sun, Jan 2/3 | vs LA Rams | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL | TBA | TBA |
| Sat/Sun, Jan 9/10 | at New Orleans Saints | Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA | TBA | TBA |
MORE: 2026 NFL Schedule Every Week, Date, and Kickoff Time
Key Games on the 2026 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Schedule
Week 1 on the Road at Cincinnati
Tampa Bay opens the regular season at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on September 13 at 1:00 pm ET on FOX. An AFC road opener against a team that consistently competes for playoff positioning is a genuine early test. The Bengals at home in Week 1 present a complete challenge — a strong pass rush, a capable offense, and a home crowd ready for football after a long offseason. Tampa Bay needs to establish early that this is a competitive team.
Three Straight Home Games to Open October
After the Dallas road game on Thursday Night Football, Tampa Bay returns to Raymond James Stadium for consecutive home games against Pittsburgh (Oct 18), then has a road trip to Carolina (Oct 25) before hosting Atlanta (Nov 1). The home stretch against Pittsburgh and Atlanta in back-to-back weeks gives the Buccaneers a genuine opportunity to build a strong October home record at Raymond James Stadium.
Thursday Night at Dallas
Tampa Bay travels to AT&T Stadium for Thursday Night Football on October 8 at 8:15 pm ET on Prime Video. A short-week road game at one of the NFL’s marquee venues — against a Cowboys team that plays up for prime-time moments — is a genuine scheduling challenge. The compressed preparation week makes execution even more critical, and AT&T Stadium on a Thursday night is a difficult environment regardless of opponent.
Sunday Night at Chicago
The Buccaneers travel to Soldier Field for Sunday Night Football on November 8 at 8:20 pm ET on NBC/Peacock. A prime-time road game at Soldier Field in November gives Tampa Bay national visibility but no home comforts. Chicago in early November can deliver weather conditions that challenge a warm-weather program, and the Bears on Sunday Night Football in front of a home crowd creates a genuinely hostile environment.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Atlanta Falcons 2026 — Twice
The NFC South rivalry with Atlanta runs twice. Atlanta visits Raymond James Stadium on November 1 at 1:00 pm ET on FOX for the home leg. Then Tampa Bay travels to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the December 26/27 window. Both games carry full divisional standing implications, and the Atlanta series is the most consequential rivalry on the schedule for determining where Tampa Bay finishes in the NFC South.
Monday Night Football: Carolina at Raymond James
Carolina visits Raymond James Stadium for Monday Night Football on November 30 at 8:15 pm ET on ESPN. A prime-time home game against a division rival in late November — with playoff positioning already being actively discussed — is exactly the kind of game Tampa Bay needs to protect at home. The NFC South race often comes down to division games in the final weeks, and this one could carry major weight.
NFC South Rivalry: New Orleans Twice
Tampa Bay hosts New Orleans on December 20 at Raymond James Stadium, then travels to the Caesars Superdome to close the regular season on January 9 or 10. The season finale in New Orleans — if either team needs a win for playoff positioning — has the potential to be one of the highest-stakes games of the entire NFC South race. The Superdome for a late-season division game is one of the most hostile environments the Buccaneers face on the road.
Late Season Home Schedule
Raymond James Stadium hosts the LA Chargers on December 6 and New Orleans on December 20 before the final three weeks feature TBA-date games. The LA Rams also visit in early January for a non-division home game that could serve as a final résumé builder heading into the postseason.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Home Games 2026
| Game | Date |
|---|---|
| vs Kansas City Chiefs (Preseason) | Sat, Aug 22 |
| vs Cleveland Browns | Sun, Sep 20 |
| vs Minnesota Vikings | Sun, Sep 27 |
| vs Green Bay Packers | Sun, Oct 4 |
| vs Pittsburgh Steelers | Sun, Oct 18 |
| vs Atlanta Falcons | Sun, Nov 1 |
| vs Carolina Panthers (MNF) | Mon, Nov 30 |
| vs LA Chargers | Sun, Dec 6 |
| vs New Orleans Saints | Sun, Dec 20 |
| vs LA Rams | Sat/Sun, Jan 2/3 |
Eight regular season home games at Raymond James Stadium. Monday Night Football against Carolina is the marquee home prime-time window of the second half of the season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Bye Week 2026
The bye falls on Sunday, November 15 — arriving after a challenging stretch that includes Sunday Night Football at Chicago and the road trip to Detroit the following week. The timing gives Tampa Bay a full week off before Carolina visits on Monday Night Football on November 30, followed by the LA Chargers, Baltimore, New Orleans, and the critical NFC South games to close the year.
A mid-November bye is well-placed for a team that needs to be fresh for a demanding December and January schedule.
FAQ
Q: When do the Tampa Bay Buccaneers open the 2026 regular season?
A: The 2026 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Schedule regular season opens Sunday, September 13, with Tampa Bay traveling to Paycor Stadium to face the Cincinnati Bengals at 1:00 pm ET on FOX.
Q: What are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers home games in 2026?
A: Tampa Bay Buccaneers home games 2026 at Raymond James Stadium include Cleveland (Sep 20), Minnesota (Sep 27), Green Bay (Oct 4), Pittsburgh (Oct 18), Atlanta (Nov 1), Carolina (Nov 30), LA Chargers (Dec 6), New Orleans (Dec 20), and LA Rams (Jan 2/3).
Q: When do the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play the Atlanta Falcons in 2026?
A: Atlanta visits Raymond James Stadium on November 1 at 1:00 pm ET on FOX, then Tampa Bay travels to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the December 26/27 window for the road leg.
Q: When is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers bye week in 2026?
A: The bye week on the 2026 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Schedule falls on Sunday, November 15.
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