Bucs to appear in a big national spotlight in first leak ahead of 2026 NFL schedule release
It appears as though Tampa Bay will have the eyes of the nation on them mid-season when they head up to the Windy City.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, like the rest of the league, will have their 2026 NFL schedules released to the public by the league on Thursday night.
However, for those looking for some early nuggets, the Bucs finally had one slip through the cracks in advance of the reveal.
According to WFLA Sports reporter Aileen Hnatiuk, the Bucs will be on Sunday Night Football in Week 9 against the Chicago Bears.
Schedule leak has Bucs facing Bears in Week 9 on Sunday Night Football
The decision to put the game on primetime is a logical one. Baker Mayfield vs. the resurgent Bears and Caleb Williams should draw some eyeballs and be an entertaining matchup.
For the Bucs, they might have dodged a little bit of a weather bullet in the process with this placement. Sunday, November 8, is basically the midpoint of the season. And while it should be somewhat cold in Chicago that night, it’s at least not mid-to-late-December cold that it could have been, when the temperatures could hit true brutal Chicago winter marks.
We’ll find out the rest of the Bucs’ schedule tonight at 8:00 pm ET, when the full schedule will be revealed on the NFL Network and ESPN2.