We finally learned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' schedule for this upcoming season, and it's already looking like a doozy.
It's not that opponents are stacked against the Bucs, rather the way the schedule shook out is less than desirable. Tampa Bay has a brutal three game stretch in November where it travels coast-to-coast-to-coast over three weeks without a break.
If that wasn't already frustrating enough, the Bucs landed fewer primetime games than the Atlanta Falcons, which is both annoying an fuel for everyone's fire in Tampa Bay this year.
Every Tampa Bay Buccaneers primetime games on 2025 NFL schedule
Here's a look at the games Tampa Bay will be featured on national television as part of the league's primetime package of games. Brace yourself, it's not a lot.
Week | Game | TV Channel | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
Week 2 | at Houston Texans | ABC/ESPN | 7:00 pm ET |
Week 7 | at Detroit Lions | ABC/ESPN | 7:00 pm ET |
Week 12 | at Los Angeles Rams | NBC/Peacock | 8:20 pm ET |
Week 15 | vs. Atlanta Falcons | Amazon Prime Video | 8:15 pm ET |
That's right, the Buccaneers not only have just four primetime games but only one of them will be at home. Tampa Bay will be on the road for three of its four nationally televised games, which tells you all you need to know about what the NFL thinks about the Bucs this year.
Of course, this isn't anything new. Tampa Bay has operated with a chip on its shoulder for years now, and a lot of it has to do with stuff like this.
Maybe it's a good thing that the Bucs aren't featured in primetime a ton this season. Fans are no strangers to how much the team struggles in night games, as Tampa Bay is 0-5 in regular season primetime games during the Baker Mayfield era.
The Bucs do have one win in primetime with Baker, and it's an important one. Tampa Bay thumped the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card game two years ago, continuing their Grim Reaper trend of retiring Hall of Fame players in the playoffs (Drew Brees and Jason Kelce).
All of this lines up perfectly for the Bucs to buck the losing trend and get things on track. That's the theme of the season, as four straight NFC South titles and five consecutive trips to the playoffs means there's no margin for error, and Tampa Bay needs to start showing up in primetime games.
There's already a chip on everyone's shoulder, and what better way to be on-brand than to prove the doubters wrong in a brand new way?
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