Happy Bucs Schedule Release Day, Pewter People!

The time has come to affix times and dates to the Bucs’ games in 2024, as we’ve known which opponents Tampa Bay will play since the end of the 2023 season. The NFL announced that the 2024 regular season (and preseason) schedule would be released today on May 15, which is the latest date that the league has ever released the schedule.

The league used to release the schedule prior to the NFL Draft, but a few years ago, it wisely waited to see where the top rookie quarterbacks and other star players would land before formulating the upcoming schedule. Last year, the schedule was released a week earlier, but the time has finally come to see when and where the Bucs games are played.

Here is what has been reported and what Pewter Report has learned so far about the Bucs schedule for the 2024 season. Most current updates will be featured near the top of this Bucs schedule release tracker. We’re only going to post schedule leaks from accredited NFL media – not fans.

Tampa Bay Will Play At Atlanta On Thursday Night Football – 1:45 p.m.

WSB Channel 2 Atlanta (ABC) sports director Zach Klein has reported that the Bucs will travel to Atlanta to play the Falcons on Thursday Night Football in Week 5, which would be Thursday, October 10.

Bucs Will Host Jayden Daniels, Commanders In Season Opener – 12:55 p.m.

The Bucs will host the Commanders in Week 1 according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. Washington’s No. 1 pick, quarterback Jayden Daniels, who was the No. 2 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, will make his debut against Todd Bowles’ Tampa Bay defense.

Bucs Won’t Be Playing On Thanksgiving Or Christmas – 10:15 a.m.

Bucs DT Vita Vea – Photo by: USA Today

With away games at Detroit and Dallas this year there was a chance that Tampa Bay could wind up playing on Thanksgiving, as both the Cowboys and Lions are the annual anchor home teams for the Thursday holiday games. But the Bucs won’t be playing those away games in that particular week, nor will the team be a participant in the prime time game on Thanksgiving.

The Bucs could very well end up playing either at Detroit or at Dallas before a nationally televised audience in prime time this year – but it won’t be on Thanksgiving. And the Bucs also won’t be playing on Christmas, either.

Tampa Bay has only played on Thanksgiving once, and that was in Dallas in 2006 with the Bucs losing, 38-10. After Mike Alstott gave the team an early 7-0 lead, the Cowboys outscored the Bucs, 38-3, down the stretch. Quarterback Tony Romo carved up Monte Kiffin’s Tampa 2 defense like a turkey, throwing for five touchdowns to ruin the Bucs’ appetite that day.

Tampa Bay did play on Christmas two years ago at Arizona, beating the Cardinals, 19-16, in overtime on Sunday Night Football. Christmas falls on Wednesday, December 25 this year, so the Bucs dodge a bullet without having to play a dreaded midweek game this year.

Here’s Who The Bucs Could Play In Week 1 – 8:15 a.m.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

The NFL has officially announced several games in Week 1, most notably the 2024 season kickoff game on Thursday night, September 5 when the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs host the Ravens in Kansas City. It’s a long-awaited rematch of the 2024 AFC Championship Game, which Baltimore lost at home last year. The Bucs will be playing both the Chiefs (away) and the Ravens (home) this year, but not in Week 1.

The league also announced that Tom Brady will be calling the Week 1 game between the Cowboys and the Browns in Cleveland in his Fox debut, so Tampa Bay’s away game at Dallas won’t be the season opener. The 49ers will be hosting the Jets on Monday Night Football in the season opener, so that means that Tampa Bay won’t be hosting San Francisco in Week 1.

The Eagles are slated to host the Packers in Week 1 in Brazil, so Philadelphia won’t be opening the season at Tampa Bay. But the Eagles will play the Bucs in Tampa Bay another week this year for the second year in a row.

It’s also been reported by WSB Channel 2 Atlanta (ABC) sports director Zach Klein that the Falcons will host the Steelers in Week 1 this year. That will feature former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith’s return to Atlanta as Pittsburgh’s new offensive coordinator. The Bucs will play the Falcons twice in 2024, but it won’t be in the season opener.

Former Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

So who will Tampa Bay open up with in 2024? A quick look at the teams that will be on the Bucs schedule leaves the Saints (home or away), Panthers (home or away), Giants (away), Chargers (away), Lions (away), Raiders (home) and Commanders (home) as Week 1 options. Tampa Bay has started the season on the road in three out of the last four years.

The Bucs’ 2020 season opener was at New Orleans in Tom Brady’s debut in red and pewter, followed by a home game against Dallas on Thursday Night Football to kick off the season as the defending Super Bowl champions to open the 2021 season. Tampa Bay then started the 2022 season at Dallas and followed with a season opener at Minnesota last year.

The Buccaneers are 3-0 in home openers over the last three seasons, including a 2-0 mark under head coach Todd Bowles.

No International Games On 2024 Bucs Schedule – 8:15 a.m.

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs schedule will not feature any international games in 2024. The Bucs were a candidate to play in Germany once again as the Panthers were named as a host team for one of their home games. Instead, the Panthers will host the New York Giants in Munich.

With Tampa Bay obviously playing at division rival Carolina, there was a chance that the Bucs could go back to Germany where they played in – and won – the first-ever NFL game in Munich in 2022 against Seattle.

The NFL named four teams for the German territory a few years back – Tampa Bay, Carolina, New England and Kansas City. Having two of those teams play each other in Germany would’ve been fun to see, especially since the Bucs could be looking for revenge against the Panthers overseas.

Tampa Bay lost to Carolina in London in a home during the 2019 season – a game in which Jameis Winston threw five interceptions, including one on his first pass attempt.