The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have known who they would be playing in the 2024 season, and where, since the 2023 regular season came to a close. Now they know the when.
The NFL's full 2024 schedule dropped on Wednesday night, and the Buccaneers will open at home against the Washington Commanders and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels on Sunday, September 8. The first month of the season will also include rematches of both of their 2023 playoff outings, at Detroit in Week Two and at home against Philadelphia in Week Four. The Buccaneers could face two quarterbacks selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft if 12th-overall pick Bo Nix is starting for the Denver Broncos when they visit in Week Three.
Tampa Bay has been scheduled for four prime-time games, including two Monday Night Football contests in the span of three weeks. After hosting the Baltimore Ravens on Monday, October 21, they will head to Kansas City for another Monday-nighter on November 4. That latter contest will be a rematch of Super Bowl LV, in which the Buccaneers smothered the Chiefs, 31-9, at Raymond James Stadium. The Chiefs have since won the last two Super Bowls.
The Bucs other two evening games are at Atlanta on Thursday in Week Five and at Dallas on Sunday in Week 16. This marks the third time in the last four seasons that the Buccaneers and Cowboys will meet in prime time and the Bucs will try to make it three regular-season victories in a row in the series; Tampa Bay won the 2021 Kickoff Game at home over Dallas, 31-29, then followed up with another Week One win victory over the Cowboys on Sunday night in Dallas by a score of 19-3. Dallas gained a measure of revenge in the 2022 playoffs with a 31-14 win at Raymond James Stadium in the Wild Card Round.
Tampa Bay's attempt to win four straight division titles for the first time in franchise history will conclude with home games against Carolina and New Orleans in Weeks 17 and 18, respectively. The Week Five Thursday night game in Atlanta is the first intra-division game of the season for the Buccaneers. The Bucs and Falcons will play twice in a four-week span, the second one in Tampa in Week Eight.
Buccaneers single game tickets will be on sale Wednesday night at 8 p.m. If you want to capture the magic of the Bucs' 2024 season with a front row seat to the action, click here to purchase your tickets on Wednesday when the schedule is released.
The NFL introduced an enhanced schedule in 2021 that covers 17 games per team over 18 weeks, this year concluding on January 5. The Buccaneers get their bye week relatively late in that schedule, as they are off in Week 11 after a Week 10 home game against San Francisco. Tampa Bay's bye week fell much earlier in 2023, in Week Five. The "17th Game" of the enhanced schedule is a fifth interconference matchup, with the Buccaneers drawing the Ravens because both teams finished in first place in their respective divisions in 2023. In 2024, all 17th games will be hosted by NFC teams.
Below is the Buccaneers' 2024 game schedule, including the three-game preseason slate which is still awaiting specific dates and times, followed by more notes (all times Eastern):
Preseason:
| Day | Date | Opponent | Time | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat. | Aug. 10 | at Cincinnati | 7:00 PM | WTTA-TV |
| Sat. | Aug. 17 | at Jacksonville | 7:30 PM | WFLA-TV |
| Fri. | Aug. 23 | MIAMI | 7:30 PM | WFLA-TV |
Regular Season:
| Day | Date | Opponent | Time | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun. | Sept. 8 | WASHINGTON | 4:25 PM | FOX |
| Sun. | Sept. 15 | at Detroit | 1:00 PM | FOX |
| Sun. | Sept. 22 | DENVER | 1:00 PM | FOX |
| Sun. | Sept. 29 | PHILADELPHIA | 1:00 PM | FOX |
| Thurs. | Oct. 3 | at Atlanta | 8:15 PM | Prime Video |
| Sun. | Oct. 13 | at New Orleans | 1:00 PM | FOX |
| Mon. | Oct. 21 | BALTIMORE | 8:15 PM | ESPN |
| Sun. | Oct. 27 | ATLANTA | 1:00 PM | FOX |
| Mon. | Nov. 4 | at Kansas City | 8:15 PM | ESPN |
| Sun. | Nov. 10 | SAN FRANCISCO | 1:00 PM | FOX |
| -- bye week -- | ||||
| Sun. | Nov. 24 | at N.Y. Giants | 1:00 PM | CBS |
| Sun. | Dec. 1 | at Carolina | 4:05 PM | FOX |
| Sun. | Dec. 8 | LAS VEGAS | 1:00 PM | CBS |
| Sun. | Dec. 15 | at L.A. Chargers | 4:25 PM | FOX |
| Sun. | Dec. 22 | at Dallas | 8:20 PM | NBC |
| Sun. | Dec. 29 | CAROLINA | 1:00 PM | CBS |
| TBD | Jan. 4/5 | NEW ORLEANS | TBD | TBD |
- All times Eastern and subject to change.
- Sunday night games in Weeks 5-17 subject to change.
- Monday night games in Weeks 13-18 subject to change.
Here are some additional notes regarding the Buccaneers' 2024 schedule:
- The Buccaneers don't appear to have many serious weather concerns on their 2024 schedule. Half of their eight road games will be played in Domes (at Detroit, Atlanta, New Orleans and Dallas) and their latest outdoor game is against the Chargers in Los Angeles in Week 16. The Monday night game in Kansas City is in early November. There is the potential for some cold temperatures in road games against the Panthers in Weeks 12 and 13.
- The Buccaneers' defense will get a lot of practice chasing dual-threat quarterbacks in the first half of the season. Daniels, the presumptive opening-day starter for Washington and the second-overall pick in the draft, threw for 3,812 yards and ran for 1,134 more for LSU in 2023 while accounting for 50 total touchdowns. The Bucs have faced Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts four times since 2021, including twice in playoff wins, and know he can do damage with his legs and his arm. Baltimore's Lamar Jackson won his second NFL MVP trophy in 2023 after throwing for 3,678 yards and running for another 821.
- The Buccaneers will play back-to-back home games three times during the 2024 season: Denver and Philadelphia in Weeks Three and Four; Baltimore and Atlanta in Weeks Seven and Eight; and Carolina and New Orleans in Weeks 17 and 18. This is the first time the Bucs' season will end with consecutive home games since 2019.
- The Buccaneers will also play back-to-back road games three times during the 2024 season: at Atlanta and New Orleans in Weeks Five and Six; at New York and Carolina in Weeks 12 and 13; and at Los Angeles and Dallas in Weeks 15 and 16. From November 10 through December 22, the Bucs will play only two home games in a span of eight weeks. That portion of the season includes four road games and a bye week. This will mark the second season in a row in which the Buccaneers have played only two home games in a span of eight weeks.
- Since 2009, the NFL has made it part of their scheduling requirements that each team plays an opponent from within its own division in the final week of the regular season. This season, the Bucs' Week 18 itinerary has them at home against New Orleans. This is the first time the Saints have been Tampa Bay's final opponent since 2017. The Bucs will have the Panthers in town in Week 17, so this will be the third season in a row that Tampa Bay finishes the year with two straight NFC South opponents.
- The Buccaneers are scheduled to play six games against teams that made the playoffs in 2023: at Detroit in Week Two, vs. Philadelphia in Week Four, vs. Baltimore in Week Seven, at Kansas City in Week Nine, vs. San Francisco in Week 10 and at Dallas in Week 16.
- Tampa Bay's schedule contains the reigning Super Bowl champs for the sixth time in the last nine seasons, as the Bucs will face the Chiefs in Kansas City in Week Nine. The Bucs have won two of their last three outings against reigning league champions, beating the Rams, 16-13, in 2022 and the Eagles, 27-21, in 2018. Overall, this will be the 23rd time that the Buccaneers had the current champs on their regular season schedule.
- The Bucs game against the Commanders in Week One marks just the second time they have ever opened a season against Washington. The first was in 2004, a 16-10 loss at FedExField.
