The annual NFL schedule release is the equivalent of the Super Bowl for NFL social media teams.
The official schedule doesn’t release until tonight at 8 p.m. EST, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have shared a teaser giving fans an early look at how they’re going about announcing their 2025 slate.
Former Buccaneers Head Coach Jon Gruden, who led the franchise to its first ever Super Bowl victory in the 2002-2003 season, will be the star of the team’s 2025 schedule release video.
The promo hints at an "unboxing" theme, and if you've been keeping up with Gruden lately, you'll be familiar with his unboxing series where he opens collections of merchandise from various professional and college sports teams. Perhaps this is a hint that in addition to the 2025 schedule, Gruden could also be debuting some of the sweet new Buccaneers 50th season merchandise that the team has been subtly promoting throughout the offseason.
This collaboration is the latest step in repairing the relationship between the organization and its former head coach. Gruden was removed from the Buccaneers’ Ring of Honor in 2021 after the surfacing of controversial emails. The scrutiny was so severe that it ultimately led to his resignation as head coach of the Oakland Raiders.
Gruden’s public image has since done a complete 180, transforming him into a social media phenomenon and a prominent content creator within the Barstool Sports network.
The Bucs announced earlier this year that they plan to reinstate Gruden to their Ring of Honor effective immediately. The move raised questions about the franchises’ true motives or convictions behind their initial disavowal of Gruden if they planned to just reinstate him when the controversy died down — but that’s for another story.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2025 Opponents
The Buccaneers' 2025 slate has no shortage of must-see matchups. In additon to the annual six games against divisional opponents, the Bucs will face the entirety of the NFC West and AFC East divisions this season.
The Buccaneers’ three remaining matchups are against teams that also finished first in their respective divisions last season: the Eagles, Lions, and Texans.
Home Games | Away Games |
|---|---|
Eagles | Rams |
49ers | Seahawks |
Patriots | Dolphins |
Jets | Bills |
Cardinals | Lions |
Saints | Texans |
Panthers | Panthers |
Falcons | Falcons |
Saints |
So far, there is only one leak regarding Tampa Bay's schedule, but it is a major one. The Bucs are rumored to travel to Los Angeles to face the Rams on Thanksgiving night. It will be just the second time in franchise history the Bucs get to take place in the NFL's Thanksgiving tradition-the first being a 38-10 loss in Dallas in 2006.
The schedule will be officially revealed Wednesday night, but bits and pieces will inevitably leak prior to the official announcement. We will continue to provide live updates as more schedule leaks surface.
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