It's that magical time of year when the NFL Schedule release finally gives us a glimpse into what each team's potential journey to the Super Bowl might look like.
For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the path is a tricky one but it's not such a steep climb that it'll somehow be impossible to conquer. We already know what teams the Bucs will be playing this seaosn, it's just a matter of figuring out how everything stacks up in terms of when games will be played.
So far the news is mostly good, as the Bucs rank in the middle of the pack for strength of schedule, with some serious soft spots in the upcoming schedule.
Here's a look at what has already leaked, with more details below.
Week | Opponent |
|---|---|
1 | at Falcons |
2 | at Texans (MNF) |
3 | vs. Jets |
4 | vs. Eagles |
5 | at Seahawks |
6 | vs. 49ers |
7 | vs. Lions (MNF) |
8 | BYE |
9 | at Saints |
10 | vs. Patriots |
11 | at Bills |
12 | at Rams (SNF) |
13 | vs. Cardinals |
14 | vs. Saints |
15 | vs. Falcons (TNF) |
16 | at Panthers |
17 | at Dolphins |
18 | vs. Panthers |
Who the Bucs are playing isn't necessarily as important as when they're playing the games. We saw Tampa Bay go through a midseason gauntlet of top teams, a stretch the Bucs went 0-4 in and nearly derailed the season during.
Officially the schedule is released on Wednesday at 7pm ET but between now and then games will be leaking. Some will be true -- like the NFL releasing certain primetime games -- while others will be less reliable.
We'll be tracking it all, and sorting through the chaos as it comes.
Here’s what we know about Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2025 schedule leaks
Note: Leaks and rumors are listed in the order they were...well, leaked. None of these are official unless otherwise noted.
Week 17 - Buccaneers at Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins schedule leaked early, which means we know when the Buccaneers will be heading down to Hard Rock Stadium this year.
It looks like a Week 17 matchup, which is good in so far as the Bucs won't have to deal with the early season heat and humidity -- although they're a little more equipped to handle it than other teams might be.
Week 2 - Buccaneers vs. Texans (Monday Night Football)
It’s going to be interesting to see how many primetime games the Bucs get, but it sounds like they’ll get at least one right off the bat. JoeBucsFan is reporting that Tampa Bay will play the Houston Texans in Week 2 on Monday Night Football.
This would align with ESPN’s annual desire to do a doubleheader for its first Monday Night Football games of the year. Two years ago we saw the Bucs play the Eagles as part of one of these doubleheaders at the beginning of the season, and a Baker Mayfield vs. C.J. Stroud matchup under the bright lights is a pretty great game to showcase.
Week 1 - Buccaneers vs. Falcons
According to our pals at JoeBucsFan, Tampa Bay will kickoff the season against its NFC South rivals in a 1pm ET game. Unfortunately it’s going to be a road game, but that just give the Bucs a chance to avenge their frustrating Thursday Night Football loss from last season right away.
Buccaneers rumored to be playing on Thanksgiving Day
It was reported on Monday that the Bucs could be playing the Los Angeles Rams on Thanksgiving this year. This would mark just the second time Tampa Bay has ever played on Thanksgiving, as the Bucs played in Dallas back in 2006
The only downside is that it would be a road game on a holiday, and would also be the primetime game since both the Lions and Cowboys have a monopoly on the earlier windows. It's not a bad thing to have the Bucs under bright nationally televised lights, but fans are understandably timid about how those games usually end up going.
More Tampa Bay Buccaneers news and rumors