The Bucs suffered their first loss of the season Sunday afternoon, losing 31-25 to the Eagles at Raymond James Stadium to split their first two home games of the year. Now, they’ll head to the northwest in Week 5 for a matchup against the 3-1 Seahawks. The game was, and technically still is, scheduled for a 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff. But that could change before next Sunday.

Late Saturday night, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Bucs’ next game could get an adjusted kickoff time depending on the Major League Baseball playoff schedule. This past week, the Seattle Mariners won the American League West for the first time since 2001, which sets them up for a home playoff game at T-Mobile Park, which is adjacent to the Seahawks’ Lumen Field, next Sunday. Of course, that’s the same day the Seahawks are supposed to host the Bucs.

MLB officials likely won’t set game times for the American League Division Series until the conclusion of the Wild Card Round, which could extend through Thursday night. So, it could be Friday before Seattle knows what time Sunday’s Mariners game will be. That would, in turn, mean the city won’t know until then whether the kickoff time for the Seahawks’ home game against the Bucs will need to be pushed back.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: USA Today

Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m. local time in Seattle, but if the Mariners are scheduled to play at the same time, the Seahawks-Bucs game could be pushed back by 90 to 150 minutes, Seattle officials said (via Schefter). Doing the math on that, an adjusted kick time could be anywhere from 2:35 p.m. local time to 3:35 p.m. local time. Here on the East Coast, that would mean a kickoff time between 5:35 p.m. and 6:35 p.m.

This hasn’t been a frequent occurrence by any means, so this is somewhat of a rare situation to work through. However, there have been discussions and plans for this type of adjustment to a Seahawks kickoff time before.

Just three years ago, a potential Game 4 of the ALDS for the Mariners would’ve been set for the same time as a Seahawks game right next door at Lumen Field. Preparations were being made to push kickoff back by 85 minutes, to 2:30 p.m. local time/5:30 p.m. ET, but the Mariners were swept in three games and no conflict came into play.

So, for now, it’s a wait-and-see for Seattle officials, and therefore the Seahawks and Bucs, regarding the Week 5 kickoff time.

Bucs’ Return To Seattle Comes With A Few Unique Wrinkles

The Bucs flying out to Seattle to face the Seahawks was already set to be pretty unique given that it’s the team’s first trip out there to face the Seahawks since November of 2019, when they lost a 40-34 game that saw them blow an early 21-7 lead, come back to tie the game at 34-all with 46 seconds to go and then lose in overtime.

Seattle didn’t make the return trip to Tampa when the two teams met in 2022, as that game was played over in Germany. The Bucs won that one, 21-16, thanks to two touchdown passes by then-quarterback Tom Brady.

Bucs RB Rachaad White – Photo by: USA Today

Now, with the two teams set to renew acquaintances in their 16th meeting all-time, it’ll have a few unique wrinkles. For one, these are two 3-1 teams, so as early in the season as it is, this is a big game for the NFC playoff picture.

There’s also the fact that these two teams, both 1976 expansion teams, are celebrating their 50th seasons in the NFL. Because of that, this game will feature two of the NFL’s best throwback uniforms. Tampa Bay will wear its white 1976 throwbacks, which had a victorious debut in Week 3. Seattle, on the other hand, will don its own iconic throwback look.

Throw in the possibility of a delayed kickoff time, as well as a rare home playoff baseball game happening next door, and you have yet another element that will make this Week 5 matchup a memorable one.

Stay tuned to PewterReport.com for more information and further updates on a potential kickoff time adjustment for the Bucs’ next game.