The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cincinnati Bengals will open their 2026 seasons Sunday with both teams looking to make an early statement.
The Buccaneers travel to Cincinnati for a 1 p.m. ET matchup at Paycor Stadium. Tampa Bay finished 8-9 last season after starting 6-2, while Cincinnati also finished 6-11 after quarterback Joe Burrow missed nine games with a toe injury. Both teams spent much of the offseason trying to fix their defensive problems.
Now, both teams enter Week 1 believing they can get back into the playoff picture.
Burrow Returns to Lead Bengals
The biggest storyline for Cincinnati is simple: Joe Burrow is healthy again.
Burrow missed a significant portion of last season, but he returns to an offense that still features some of the league’s most dangerous weapons. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins give Burrow an elite receiving duo, while Chase Brown provides another major threat in the backfield.
If Burrow can stay healthy, Cincinnati has the offensive firepower to compete with anyone in the AFC.
Bucs Looking for a Defensive Turnaround
Tampa Bay will need its revamped defense to be ready immediately.
The Buccaneers added linebacker Alex Anzalone, edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad and defensive linemen A’Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches. Rookie Rueben Bain Jr. also gives Tampa Bay another explosive young pass rusher.
That group will have one of its biggest tests of the season right away against Burrow, Chase and Higgins.
Baker Mayfield Has Plenty of Weapons
Baker Mayfield enters the season looking to lead Tampa Bay back to the playoffs. The Bucs lost longtime star Mike Evans during the offseason, but Chris Godwin returns, while running back Bucky Irving is healthy and Kenneth Gainwell was added to the backfield.
Tampa Bay also expects second-year receiver Emeka Egbuka to take another step forward.
The offense could have plenty of opportunities against a Cincinnati defense that underwent major changes this offseason.
Key Matchup
The biggest battle could be Cincinnati’s revamped defensive front against Tampa Bay’s offensive line.
The Bengals added Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen and Boye Mafe in an effort to completely reshape a defense that struggled badly against the run last season. Tampa Bay will need to protect Mayfield and establish Irving and Gainwell early.
On the other side, the Bucs have to find a way to slow down Burrow without giving Chase and Higgins opportunities to take over the game.
This has the potential to be one of the more entertaining games of Week 1.
Both teams have explosive offenses, but Cincinnati has the advantage of playing at home and enters the season with Burrow back under center.
Tampa Bay should be able to put points on the board, but Cincinnati’s offensive firepower could ultimately be too much. If Burrow stays healthy, the Bengals have a chance to start the season with a major statement victory.
