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After waiting nearly 225 days, the Bucs will finally play a football game Friday night. Granted, this is just the start of the preseason, but it’s Buccaneer football nonetheless. Todd Bowles and Co. have been up in Florham Park, New Jersey, this week for a couple of joint practices with the Jets. Now, it’s time to take the action over to MetLife Stadium for the 2026 preseason opener.

The Bucs are opening their three-game exhibition slate with a road game against the Jets before returning to Raymond James Stadium for the first time since January to host the Chiefs on Aug. 22. From there, they’ll wrap up the preseason Aug. 28 in Jacksonville against the Jaguars ahead of a Sept. 13 regular season opener in Cincinnati against the Bengals.

Let’s take a look at some of the top Bucs to keep an eye on throughout Friday night’s preseason opener, starting first with the offensive side of the ball.

Bucs To Watch In Preseason Week 1: Offense

Bucs QB Jalon Daniels – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

QB Jalon Daniels – No. 10

Friday is the start of a big opportunity for Daniels, an undrafted rookie out of Kansas. He’s working on unseating Connor Bazelak, a 2025 undrafted free agent from Bowling Green, as the Bucs’ No. 3 quarterback behind Baker Mayfield and Jake Browning. Daniels will feature heavily throughout the preseason, and getting off to a good start against the Jets by showing command of Zac Robinson’s offense, protecting the football and making some plays would be a step toward paying off the buzz he’s gotten this offseason.

The added wrinkle of even more game time makes Friday night all the more interesting, as the Bucs may be without Browning (back), leaving only Bazelak and Daniels to cover all four quarters.

RB Josh Williams – No. 18

The Bucs could go as far as holding out their top three running backs for the preseason opener, though maybe one starts so it’s not solely on Josh Williams and Kadarius Calloway to cover every snap. It could be Bucky Irving (to get reacclimated to game action), Kenny Gainwell (a newcomer) or Sean Tucker (as the No. 3), but given that all three are established in their roles, Williams is the guy to watch as the incumbent No. 4. What he does as a runner and receiver almost feels secondary, as impressing new special teams coordinator Danny Smith in the return game might do even more for his case to stick around.

WR Ted Hurst – No. 17

There probably isn’t a more intriguing player to watch when the Bucs offense takes the field Friday night than rookie wide receiver Ted Hurst. Between veterans sitting out and a few injuries, Hurst may get a good chunk of playing time during his Buccaneer debut, and he’ll have a lot of eyes on him. There’s so much to like about his all-around game, and while an adjustment period was/is expected as he jumps from the Sun Belt to the NFL, he has looked increasingly comfortable as camp has gone on. Look for Hurst to shine both Friday night and throughout the preseason as he ramps up for his official NFL debut in September.

Bucs PR Kam Johnson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

WR Kam Johnson – No. 19

The Bucs’ top five receiver spots are filled, which likely leaves just one more unsettled. Kam Johnson made an impression as a rookie from Barton College at this time in 2024 and has since played 22 games, with a 34-yard touchdown against the 49ers last year standing out as his biggest moment. But if he sticks as WR6 in 2026, it’ll be more about Johnson the returner. He did a good job in that department last season, even earning NFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 1. But now he has a new special teams coordinator to impress. Two muffed punts during an early August practice could loom large unless he bounces back in the preseason.

TE Bauer Sharp – No. 84

The Bucs really liked Bauer Sharp when they drafted him in the sixth round of this year’s draft, and as the summer has progressed, it’s become clearer as to why that was the case. He’s still relatively new to the tight end position, but the traits are certainly there. He’s big and athletic, he competes as a blocker and his hands are good. That has all been on display during training camp, and now he gets to showcase it all in a game setting. He has the inside track on a roster spot right now with Devin Culp on the outside looking in, and now Sharp has to solidify his case with a strong preseason.

TE Devin Culp – No. 82

Speaking of Devin Culp, it’s past time for him to get going. He’s had an exceptionally quiet start to camp, and that’s the last thing he needed given how loose of a grip he had on his roster spot coming into 2026. It feels like he’s considerably behind in the race to earn one of the final two spots at tight end behind Cade Otton and Payne Durham. Ko Kieft has the advantage thanks to his special teams ability, while Bauer Sharp looks to have more to offer as a well-rounded tight end despite still being relatively raw. Culp needs a huge preseason if he wants to avoid being the odd man out at the end of this month.

Bucs OT Ben Chukwuma – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

OT Ben Chukwuma – No. 70

Chukwuma came in as a raw undrafted rookie out of Georgia State last year, and you could see quickly why the Bucs felt good about molding him into an NFL player. He was thrown into the fire earlier than expected at times, and he showed enough for many to pencil him in as the team’s swing tackle of the future, maybe as soon as 2026. But it’s been a rough camp for Chukwuma, who has stepped in for the injured Tristan Wirfs and been beaten pretty regularly, often by David Walker and then by the Jets’ pass rushers this week. He’s still developing, but you’d like to see some encouraging signs in the weeks to come.

G Nash Hutmacher – No. 64

Nash Hutmacher is an intriguing one to watch given his position switch this season. He spent his rookie year as a defensive tackle on the Bucs’ practice squad, but he is now a guard. At 6-foot-4, 310 pounds, the size is there. The physicality will be, too. Before spending this offseason under the tutelage of offensive line coach Kevin Carberry, Hutmacher hadn’t played offensive line since high school. So, watching how he performs Friday night and throughout the preseason could be interesting. He’s currently listed as Tampa Bay’s third-string right guard, though if the starting O-line is held out, he’s next in line behind veteran Dan Feeney.

C Elijah Klein – No. 79

Speaking of the Bucs’ recently released depth chart, how about Elijah Klein being listed as the backup center behind Graham Barton? Klein was originally drafted out of UTEP as a reserve guard, but there’s clearly some versatility to his game along the interior of the line. Tampa Bay has cycled through a few different backup options for Barton so far in camp, with Klein, Dan Feeney and Ben Scott all in the mix. Friday night will be a chance for the third-year pro to stake his claim to that job.