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The 2025 season kicks off Thursday, August 28 at 5:30 p.m. against Boise State!

The Bucs will wrap up their preseason schedule Saturday night with a home game against the Buffalo Bills at Raymond James Stadium, looking to finish a perfect 3-0 in exhibition play. Tampa Bay beat Tennessee, 29-7, two weeks ago at home before a walk-off field goal at the buzzer gave the team a 17-14 win in Pittsburgh last Saturday.

Now, Todd Bowles and Co. return home to host a team they will actually see again later this year, with a Week 11 matchup in Buffalo. This, of course, will be the final game for the Bucs before their Week 1 regular season opener against the Falcons in Atlanta on Sept. 7.

Unsurprisingly, Bowles said Thursday that his starters won't play in Saturday's preseason finale, which makes sense given the two teams see each other in the regular season, the starters have gotten enough work in during the preseason and joint practices and the fact that the squad is dealing with a fair bit of injuries at the moment.

Nonetheless, there will be football under the lights at Ray Jay Saturday night, so here, we take a look at some of the players to watch on the Buccaneer offense in that game. Then, in a separate article, we'll run down a list of players to watch on defense.

Bucs To Watch In Preseason Week 3: Offense

QB: Kyle Trask – No. 2

After starting the preseason opener two weeks ago and then coming in to relieve Teddy Bridgewater in the game last Saturday, it sounds like Kyle Trask will get the start in the preseason finale against Buffalo. At least, Todd Bowles said he "probably will," which potentially leaves the door open for Bridgewater to get the start again. Whatever the case may be, this may turn into an important game for Trask, the Bucs' 2021 second-round pick.

Bucs QB Kyle Trask – Photo by: USA Today

The former Florida Gator quarterback shined against the Titans, throwing for 129 yards on 12-of-16 passing while leading two field goal drives and a touchdown drive in one half of play. His performance against the Steelers was a different story, as he finished just 3-of-10 for 19 yards. A rebound performance against the Bills would potentially go a long way in helping him hold on to the QB2 job heading into the season.

When he re-signed this offseason, it felt like Trask may face a challenge for the backup quarterback job from Michael Pratt. But an offseason back injury sidelined Pratt before he was waived injured by the team in August. While Pratt was sidelined, Tampa Bay went out and signed Bridgewater, a veteran quarterback with plenty of game experience. He played well in Pittsburgh, doing so just 12 days after signing with the team.

Maybe the Bucs carry three quarterbacks into the season, or maybe it's two. Just to be safe, though, Trask needs to play well come Saturday night.

RB: Josh Williams – No. 37

We saw the long-awaited debut of undrafted running back Josh Williams last Saturday night, and we may see a heavier dose of him Saturday against the Bills. He had only five rushing attempts against the Steelers, but he turned them into 21 yards (4.2 avg.), with a long of 10 yards. He also caught his lone target of the night for a 13-yard gain. It was a small glimpse at the rookie out of LSU, but it was clear to see why Tampa Bay likes him.

With the starters not playing in the preseason finale, that would seem to mean the likes of Williams and Owen Wright will get the bulk of the snaps in the backfield. That's a good thing for both players, though it's perhaps even more important for Williams, who missed time during training camp as well as the preseason opener due to injury.

The final 53-man roster is always a numbers game, so it's hard to tell for sure right now whether there's an RB4 spot up for grabs. A breakout performance for Williams could make the Bucs think long and hard about it, but in any case, another good showing from the former LSU Tiger could lock up a practice squad spot heading into the regular season.

WR: Tez Johnson – No. 83

On the topic of rookies debuting in last Saturday's preseason win over the Steelers, seventh-round pick Tez Johnson saw his first game action as a Buccaneer as well. There were flashes of brilliance from the young wide receiver, but there were also a couple of glaring mistakes.

Bucs WR-PR Tez Johnson – Photo by: USA Today

He started well, with a 34-yard punt return and a nice third-down conversion in which he reversed course and made two defenders miss on his way to moving the chains. But later on, he muffed a punt, leading to a turnover and a Pittsburgh touchdown, before also adding a drop to his final line. Overall, though, he caught four of his seven targets for 24 yards and flashed with that big return early on.

Especially with the neck injury to Jalen McMillan and the fact that Chris Godwin Jr. is set to miss the beginning of the season, Johnson is a lock to make the Bucs' 53-man roster. But a calmer, cleaner game with some more flashes of brilliance could help him head into his rookie season with some confidence and comfort. Then again, Johnson never seems to be lacking in confidence, does he? Either way, look for more excitement out of the former Oregon star Saturday night.

WR: Rakim Jarrett – No. 18

This could be the end of the line for Rakim Jarrett in Tampa Bay. Once a promising undrafted free agent out of Maryland, things have seemingly fizzled out for him this summer. He appeared in 10 games as a rookie in 2023, catching four of his nine targets for 60 yards, with a big 41-yard catch being his top highlight. Last year, he once again appeared in 10 games, catching nine of his 11 targets for 124 yards, with a long of 30.

There have been flashes of big-play ability, but Jarrett may be on the outside looking in as the Bucs make their decisions on who to keep at wide receiver heading into the season. The injury to Jalen McMillan and subsequent placement on injury reserve would seem to open up an additional spot, which could help Jarrett. But he hasn't helped himself a whole lot throughout training camp thus far. Drops have been a problem for Jarrett in camp, and he dropped two passes in last Saturday's win over the Steelers.

With the news that Chris Godwin Jr. is expected to begin the season on the 53-man roster and not the PUP list, the depth chart at receiver would seem to include him, Mike Evans, Emeka Egbuka, Tez Johnson, Ryan Miller and potentially Trey Palmer, though Sterling Shepard will be in the mix as well as a practice squad elevation (as a vested veteran, Shepard is likelier to start the year on the practice squad than the 53-man for cap purposes). With all of that said, there's little room left for Jarrett without a big night on Saturday against the Bills.

WR: Trey Palmer – No. 10

Jalen McMillan's neck injury, which will cost him about half of the season, may leave the door cracked open just a bit for third-year receiver Trey Palmer. He spent the majority of training camp sidelined with an injury, but returned to the practice field late last week and has practiced this week leading up to the preseason finale against Buffalo. Given that he's missed so much time, he could see plenty of action this weekend.

Bucs WR Trey Palmer – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Palmer's skill set sets him apart from the rest of the Bucs receiver room, which is why he may have a path back to the 53-man roster now that McMillan is on injured reserve. But Palmer has a lot of work to do if he wants to actually work his way into the team's plans this year rather than simply assuming a roster spot by default.

It seems like a long time ago that the 2023 sixth-round pick out of Nebraska burst onto the scene with a solid rookie season and a big-time playoff performance against the Eagles. He went from 68 targets over 17 games as a rookie to 22 targets in 15 games last year, and there's been little to like about his offseason and training camp. If he's healthy enough to suit up for the preseason finale, it would be nice to see Palmer make some plays and reverse the way his stock is trending.

TE: Devin Culp – No. 82

It's been a forgettable preseason thus far for Tampa Bay's tight ends. There's been little to write home about for the likes of Payne Durham and Tanner Taula, and even Cade Otton disappointed in his preseason debut last week after missing some time with a hamstring injury. Devin Culp has been the most productive, but even he has just two catches on four targets for 13 yards. The second-year tight end out of Washington started training camp with a bit of a hot streak, but he has seemingly cooled off in recent weeks.

Still, the speed that Culp has out of the tight end position can help the Bucs offense this year. He's a mismatch waiting to happen, but he has to put it all together and prove that he's reliable in order for Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard to be in a spot where he needs to find him snaps and targets. Not only that, but Culp needs to continue to make strides as a blocker if he's ever going to become more than just a pass-catching, playmaking tight end.

Bucs TE Devin Culp – Photo by: USA Today

The preseason finale may be the last chance for Culp to get an extended string of snaps, which could be huge for his development. He's had a good offseason and summer on the whole, and it would be nice for him to make the most of his targets Saturday night to cap everything off with a strong performance.

OT: Ben Chukwuma – No. 70

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles was very complimentary of rookie offensive tackle Ben Chukwuma this week, making it even clearer that he and the team are high on the Georgia State product's potential. Chukwuma just hasn't played a lot of football, so he's still a work in progress. Still, there's been plenty to like.

"He's a very strong individual and he has very good skill set and tools for the position," Bowles said Wednesday. "It's just a matter of learning the game. I think when he learns it – and he can learn – he's going to be a very tough player and a very good football player. When he does it right, there's nothing prettier to watch. He's just got to keep getting the reps and keep growing and we feel like we have something to work with there."

The Bucs love the tools that Chukwuma has, and it's easy to see why. This preseason will prove to be extremely valuable in the 6-foot-6, 311-pound offensive tackle's development, and Saturday night will be one more chance for him to get some extended game experience. Watch big No. 70 right now and you'll see some flashes. Buy stock now, as there may come a day when you'll see a fully developed Chukwuma being a force in the NFL and you'll be able to think back to the roots of his rookie preseason.

G: Sua Opeta* – No. 76

This is one marked with an asterisk for a couple of reasons. For one, there's no guarantee that Sua Opeta plays Saturday night against the Bills. On the other hand, I have him at his natural position of guard even though he's currently listed by the Bucs as their third-team center on the unofficial depth chart. All that aside, this preseason finale could be a big night for Opeta as he works his way back from the training camp injury that ended his 2024 season before it started.

Back on July 28, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said that Opeta had some setbacks in his rehab for that torn ACL and he didn't know his timeline for coming back to practice. But a week later, Opeta was activated from the PUP list and returned to practice. It seemed like he could've been on track to play last Saturday against the Steelers, but he didn't. So now, attention turns to Saturday's game against the Bills. Can Opeta play, and is there any chance he could sneak onto the Bucs' 53-man roster?

Bucs OL Sua Opeta and Ben Bredeson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Remember, there was a time last summer when Opeta was battling with Ben Bredeson for the team's starting left guard job. But the season-ending injury for Opeta meant the job went to Bredeson, and Bredeson would go on to play well enough to earn a new three-year contract with Tampa Bay this offseason. Opeta also re-signed this offseason on a one-year deal. But will he be in the team's plans this year, at least for depth purposes? Saturday night could give us an answer.

C: Elijah Klein – No. 79

Elijah Klein continues to be the one to watch at the center position. Graham Barton is the Bucs' unquestioned starter, but the question of who will replace Robert Hainsey as Barton's backup remains unsettled. Klein, a 2024 sixth-round pick out of UTEP, has positional versatility and will be on the Bucs' 53-man roster when the season begins. But will he lock up the backup center job? He would seem to be the favorite at this stage.

It's been an up-and-down preseason thus far for Klein, as he had the errant snap in the preseason opener against the Titans before coming back to earn a solid 65.0 grade (with an 82.0 pass blocking mark) from Pro Football Focus for his efforts in last week's game against the Steelers. He played 29 snaps at left guard and 18 snaps at center last week after getting 41 snaps at center and 18 at right guard the previous week.

Once again, we're likely to see Klein get time at both center and guard in the preseason finale. However, his snaps could skew more toward center this week with the injury to rookie center Jake Majors, who is currently listed as Barton's backup. We'll see, and whatever we do see will give us one final glimpse into the Bucs' plans for the configuration of their offensive line depth.