The Bucs are in the midst of their most prolonged run of success in franchise history, having made the playoffs an NFC-best five straight seasons and having won the NFC South four years in a row. Now, as they embark on their 50th season in 2025, they’ll look to keep it going with a sixth consecutive playoff berth and a fifth straight division title.
Of course, Tampa Bay has higher hopes than that, too. Todd Bowles and his team have their sights set on advancing deeper into the playoffs after losses in the NFC Wild Card Round twice in the last three seasons and a loss in the NFC Divisional Round the year in between. The Bucs haven’t been to the NFC Championship Game since the 2020 season when they beat the Packers before going on to dismantle the Chiefs, 31-9, in Super Bowl LV.
So, what does the road to another playoff berth, division championship and a potential third Lombardi Trophy look like for Tampa Bay? Well, we now know, as the full 2025 schedule was released Wednesday night.
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today
After opening the 2024 regular season at home with a win over the Commanders, the Bucs will begin their 2025 campaign away from Raymond James Stadium, making the quick trip up to Atlanta to face the NFC South rival Falcons in Week 1. The Bucs are 3-0 in regular season openers under Todd Bowles and will be looking to make that 4-0 while getting an early jump on the team most likely to threaten their position atop the division.
The start of the season only gets tougher for Tampa Bay from there, as it will be headed to Houston in Week 2 for a Monday Night Football matchup against the Texans. That means the Bucs won’t get to make their 2025 home debut until Week 3 when they host the Jets at 1:00 p.m.
That Jets game is the first of back-to-back home games, as the Bucs will host the defending Super Bowl Champion Eagles in Week 4 — just like they did last year. That game will kick off at 1:00 p.m.
Tampa Bay then heads out west to Seattle for a 4:05 p.m. kickoff with the Seahawks before returning home to host the 49ers in Week 6.
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and Lions QB Jared Goff – Photo by: USA Today
Tampa Bay has another road primetime game in Week 7, and it’s a big one as the team will be up in the Motor City for a Monday Night Football matchup against the Lions.
The Bucs then have their first meeting of the season with the Saints when they head to New Orleans in Week 8. That leads into a Week 9 bye.
Following the week off, the Bucs have two straight AFC East games, with the first coming at home against the Patriots before they go up to Buffalo for a Week 11 matchup against the Bills.
Primetime comes calling again in Week 12 as Tampa Bay goes out to Los Angeles for a Sunday Night Football game against the Rams. Three straight home games follow, with the first two against the Cardinals and Saints.
In Week 15, Tampa Bay has its lone home primetime game, as it hosts Atlanta on Thursday Night Football in what could be a pivotal divisional matchup.
The slate wraps up with road games at Carolina and Miami before the Panthers make the return trip to Ray Jay to ring in 2026.
Bucs Need To Reverse Their Primetime Woes
Falcons WR KhaDarel Hodge – Photo by: Jeffrey Jones/PR
The Bucs may have finished 10-7 a year ago, but they had major issues in primetime. The team went 0-4 in primetime games during the regular season, with two Monday night losses, a Thursday night loss and a Sunday night loss:
Week 5: 36-30 OT loss at Atlanta on Thursday Night Football
Week 7: 41-31 loss to Baltimore on Monday Night Football
Week 9: 30-24 OT loss at Kansas City on Monday Night Football
Week 16: 26-24 loss at Dallas on Sunday Night Football
Tampa Bay then lost on Sunday Night Football in the NFC Wild Card Round, falling to Washington to drop to 0-5 in primetime.
On the flip side, the Bucs were 10-3 in day games.
The Bucs are 3-8 in primetime games during the regular season under Todd Bowles, including an 0-6 stretch in the regular season since 2023. The lone primetime win over the last two years for Tampa Bay was a 32-9 home win over Philadelphia in the 2023 NFC Wild Card Round. Tampa Bay was 3-2 in 2022 under Bowles in his first season as head coach.
Tampa Bay will have four chances to reverse its issues in primetime, as the 2025 schedule features Monday Night Football contests at Houston and Detroit, a Sunday Night Football matchup in Los Angeles and a home Thursday Night Football tilt with the Falcons.
Bucs’ Full 2025 Schedule
Here’s Tampa Bay’s full 2025 schedule, including its three-game preseason slate:
Preseason:
Week 1 — TBA: vs. Titans (TBA) — WFLA
Week 2 — TBA: at Steelers (TBA) — WFLA
Week 3 — TBA: vs. Bills (TBA) — WFLA
Regular Season:
Week 1 — Sunday, Sept. 7: at Falcons (1:00 p.m.) — FOX
Week 2 — Monday, Sept. 15: at Texans (7:00 p.m.) — ABC
Week 3 — Sunday, Sept. 21: vs. Jets (1:00 p.m.) — FOX
Week 4 — Sunday, Sept. 28: vs. Eagles (1:00 p.m.) — FOX
Week 5 — Sunday, Oct. 5: at Seahawks (4:05 p.m.) — CBS
Week 6 — Sunday, Oct. 12: vs. 49ers (1:00 p.m.) — CBS
Week 7 — Monday, Oct. 20: at Lions (7:00 p.m.) — ABC/ESPN
Week 8 — Sunday, Oct. 26: at Saints (4:05 p.m.) — FOX
Week 9 — BYE WEEK
Week 10 — Sunday, Nov. 9: vs. Patriots (1:00 p.m.) — CBS
Week 11 — Sunday, Nov. 16: at Bills (1:00 p.m.) — CBS
Week 12 — Sunday, Nov. 23: at Rams (8:20 p.m.) — NBC
Week 13 — Sunday, Nov. 30: vs. Cardinals (1:00 p.m.) — FOX
Week 14 — Sunday, Dec. 7: vs. Saints (1:00 p.m.) — CBS
Week 15 — Thursday, Dec. 11: vs. Falcons (8:15 p.m.) — Amazon Prime
Week 16 — Sunday, Dec. 21: at Panthers (4:30 p.m.) — FOX
Week 17 — Sunday, Dec. 28: at Dolphins (1:00 p.m.) — FOX
Week 18 — Saturday, Jan. 3 OR Sunday, Jan. 4: vs. Panthers (TBA) — TBA