After months of predictions, projections, and practice reports, there is nothing left to speculate about.

The 2026 NFL season is finally here, and for the Bucs, Sunday’s game against the Bengals will provide the first real answers to a long list of questions that have lingered throughout the offseason. A new-look offense will get its first chance to show what it can do when the games count, while a defense with plenty of new faces will be tested immediately against one of the NFL’s most dangerous passing attacks.

I have spent much of the offseason using this column to preview each position group while highlighting the biggest training camp and preseason winners and losers. This week’s Slivon’s Slant takes a different approach.

Rather than looking at an entire position group, I am focusing on four players who could have an outsized impact on whether Tampa Bay leaves Paycor Stadium with a 1-0 record. There are obvious names to watch, but there are also a couple of less obvious ones whose performances could have a ripple effect on how this game unfolds.

With the Bucs officially “on to Cincinnati,” here are four players I will be watching closely when the 2026 season finally gets underway.

2 Bucs Offensive Players To Watch In Week 1

QB Baker Mayfield

Baker Mayfield might seem like the obvious choice, but there is more to selecting him here than simply being the Bucs’ starting quarterback. For Mayfield, this will be his first time taking the field since signing a three-year, $165 million contract extension that locks him up through the 2029 season.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Matt Matera/PR

I expect him to come out of the gates firing, especially considering his track record of success in Week 1 since joining Tampa Bay:

2023 vs. Vikings: 21-of-34, 173 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT — W
2024 vs. Commanders: 24-of-30, 289 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT — W
2025 vs. Falcons: 17-of-32, 167 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT — W
Totals: 62-of-96, 629 yards, 9 TD, 0 INT — 3-0

What better opportunity to extend that perfect Week 1 record than against a Bengals defense that ranked 30th in scoring last season?

Yes, Cincinnati added defensive tackles Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen among other defensive upgrades, but plenty of players around them remain the same. Looking across the offense, I see a lot of pieces that will make No. 6 more comfortable under center.

The biggest one is that the starting offensive line is healthy. How they hold up will buy him time and lighten the load for the run game to get back on track. There is a lot of conversation surrounding the wide receiver room, and for good reason. Even if Jalen McMillan is out, Chris Godwin Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Ted Hurst III are a lethal enough trio for him to distribute the football around. Things will look different with offensive coordinator Zac Robinson running the show, but seeing how Mayfield leads the unit will make for must-watch television.

RB Kenny Gainwell

As alluded to above, the Bucs offensive line succumbing to various injuries last season did not bode well for the run game to repeat its 2024 success. Bucky Irving was injured for much of the year himself — and questionable decision-making from offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard prevented a consistent ground attack.

So, where does Kenny Gainwell fit into the picture?

Bucs RB Kenny Gainwell – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Gainwell, who signed a two-year, $14 million deal, brings a very similar skillset to Irving. That much is clear, but what I am watching for is how much he sees the field, especially in pony package looks. Having two running backs on the field opens the door to get creative, and that is where Gainwell’s versatility can play up.

He had a career-year with the Steelers last season, with 537 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 114 carries, plus 73 catches for 486 yards and three touchdowns. Now in Tampa Bay, he is more than just a change-of-pace back.

He can play on any down and keep Irving fresh. How much playing time he gets remains one of the biggest mysteries, but his role in the passing game should not. For this offense, he could become one of Baker Mayfield’s most reliable safety valves.

2 Bucs Defensive Players To Watch In Week 1

DT Vita Vea

With legendary Bucs inside linebacker Lavonte David retired, defensive tackle Vita Vea is now the longest-tenured defender on the team. Why does that matter? Well, Todd Bowles recently shared that when he looks for players to provide feedback during games, he leans on Vea to communicate what is going on and what adjustments he can make.

The 31-year-old nose tackle’s future has more clarity after receiving a contract extension. Vea has a favorable matchup, but how much he plays is almost as important as what he does with his snaps.

Bucs DT Vita Vea – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

One of the main talking points for years now is that the Bengals’ offensive line has not done quarterback Joe Burrow any favors. Despite pouring resources into the trenches, Cincinnati has struggled keeping Burrow upright.

The latest iteration features left guard Dylan Fairchild, center Ted Karras, and right guard Dalton Risner along the interior. Cincinnati will likely have to devote extra attention to Vea, which should create favorable matchups for the rest of Tampa Bay’s front seven. That is not the most inspiring group on paper, and Vea will have his chances at getting after the quarterback and clogging Chase Brown’s running lanes.

It is also worth monitoring how much Vea plays considering his age, playing a career-high in snaps last season, and where he is at physically after missing much of training camp. His availability may have been up in the air earlier this offseason, but Vea will be out there Sunday. How much he plays — and how effective he is with those snaps — will be worth watching.

ILB Josiah Trotter

The buzz around outside linebacker Rueben Bain Jr. will only grow should he record a sack and make Joe Burrow’s life difficult on Sunday. Bain has been a central talking point surrounding the team (for good reason), but inside linebacker Josiah Trotter is someone I am keeping an eye on. The rookie won the starting job, as if there was any doubt after his impressive training camp.

Bucs ILB Josiah Trotter – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Trotter is a thumper, and as the mike linebacker, he has a lot of responsibilities on his plate on Todd Bowles’ defense. That is why I buy the notion that he has come along quicker than expected and already has a strong grasp of the scheme and his role within it.

That does not mean that Trotter will be perfect right away, but there is added intrigue into how he comes downhill to wrap up ballcarriers and makes plays around the line of scrimmage. He was all over the field throughout the summer, even showing off his hands with an interception during joint practice against the Jaguars.

More than the splash plays, I will be watching how quickly Trotter diagnoses Cincinnati’s motions and formations, particularly when Burrow starts moving defenders with his eyes and pre-snap adjustments. “Trot” has a different beast to tackle in his first NFL game, and I want to see how well he handles it.

Can The Bucs’ Secondary Hold Up Against Joe Burrow And Ja’Marr Chase?

This is the million-dollar question heading into Sunday’s game. It can be the first statement that the Bucs’ defense is for real — or it could turn into an offensive shootout if Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase get off to a fast start.

Burrow and Chase have faced Todd Bowles’ defense just once, back when the Bengals beat the Bucs 34-23 in Week 15 of the 2022 season. It was a game where Burrow completed 27-of-39 passes for 200 yards and four touchdowns, but he had more trouble throwing Chase’s way, as he caught seven of 13 passes for 60 yards and a touchdown. It was difficult for him to do much with cornerback Carlton Davis III draped all over him in coverage and preventing him from stretching the field.

Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase and QB Joe Burrow – Photo by: IMAGN Images

Unfortunately for Bowles, Davis is long gone, leaving Zyon McCollum and Jacob Parrish in line to stop the All-Pro wide receiver as well as Tee Higgins, who is no slouch for putting up numbers, either. McCollum has the size and speed to hang with Chase, but he is not expected to go one-on-one with him all game. Parrish had an impressive camp converting to a full-time player on the outside, however; this is not the ideal matchup to kick off the year.

When given months to prepare, Bowles’ defense has been ready to play and has kept elite wide receivers from popping off more often than not. The Bucs do not need McCollum or Parrish to shut down Chase and Higgins. They need a complete defensive effort, with the front seven making Burrow uncomfortable enough that the corners are not asked to cover elite receivers forever.

Closing Slant

The Bucs do not need all four of the players mentioned above to have monster games Sunday.

They do need to each answer a different question.

Can Baker Mayfield immediately make Zac Robinson’s offense his own? Can Kenny Gainwell give Tampa Bay the versatility it has been missing in the backfield? Can Vita Vea dictate how well Cincinnati protects Joe Burrow? And can Josiah Trotter play fast enough to keep the Bengals from exploiting a rookie inside linebacker?

Those answers will tell us far more about the 2026 Bucs than anything that happened in training camp or the preseason. After months of wondering what this team could be, there will finally be something tangible to judge.

Sunday can’t get here soon enough.