Buccaneers 2026 NFL Schedule Released for Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay's Playoff Push

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one step closer to their push to bounce back from their collapse down the stretch of the 2025 season.

Todd Bowles and Baker Mayfield got a first look at what their path back to the playoffs will look like with the release of the 2026 NFL schedule.

Here's a first look at what it will take for Mayfield and the Bucs to return to postseason contention this fall.

Full schedule information available on the team's official website.

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Analysis

Finishing just outside the playoff picture left the Bucs with a middling strength of schedule this season.

The combined 2025 win percentage of Tampa Bay's opponents is .491, good for the 21st most difficult schedule in the NFL.

Some of the teams on the Rams' list could already be on their way to better records in 2026.

The Ravens could be a more dangerous opponent this fall as Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry pursue bounce-back seasons under their new head coach.

Unlike Baltimore, multiple opponents including the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings are heading into the offseason without a clear-cut QB1.

How those quarterback depth charts shake out in training camp could impact the season outlook for the Buccaneers, who looked like a lock to repeat as NFC South champions after a 6-2 start to the 2025 campaign.

Then came the back half of the season, during which the Buccaneers went 2-7 and lost out on their playoff spot to the Carolina Panthers.

Buccaneers co-chairman Joel Glazer recently told Pewter Report's Scott Reynolds the team had decided to retain Bowles in part because they blamed that slump on injuries, not coaching.

Mayfield played through multiple injuries, often without wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and guards Cody Mauch and Ben Bredeson, last season. Other key injury absences included Jalen McMillan, Tristan Wirfs and Bucky Irving.

The Bucs have since lost Evans, Rachaad White and Jamel Dean to free agency while signing Kenneth Gainwell and Alex Anzalone.

Tampa Bay will hope those additions, as well as the return of some of key players and a healthier season from Mayfield, can help them return to the top of the NFC South.

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Pivotal matchups

Winning the NFC South could mean improving on the Bucs' 3-3 record against division opponents in 2025.

That will set Bowles up to rematch against three teams that have all made key changes to their rosters this offseason.

Whether the Panthers have improved from last season hinges in large part on Bryce Young's ability to take a step forward in 2026, especially now that Carolina has lost running back Rico Dowdle to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Carolina also brought in linebackers Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd in an attempt to continue improving a defense that climbed from last in the NFL in yards allowed per game in 2024 to 16th in 2025.

The Falcons are another team whose outlook will depend on their quarterback as the often-injured duo of Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa prepare to battle for the QB1 spot next fall.

The Saints are running things back with quarterback Tyler Shough while hoping the additions of running back Travis Etienne Jr., tight end Noah Fant and offensive linemen David Edwards and Kaden Elliss can set him up for more success in Year 2.

The Bucs are also rematching with a few non-divisional teams they lost to during their late-season slump in 2025, including the Los Angeles Rams and Miami Dolphins.

The Rams hoping a revamped secondary starring Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson will make the difference for Matthew Stafford, while the Dolphins are looking for Malik Willis to lead them out of the Tagovailoa era this fall.

Bowles will look to use knowledge gained in losses to these teams last season in order to help the Buccaneers stay more consistently in the win column in 2026.