The countdown to the start of the 2026 Dallas Cowboys season is in the home stretch, and we have just one NFC opponent left to preview in this ongoing series that will lead right up to that first Sunday Night Football test at the New York Giants. That team would be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who like the Cowboys were on the outside of the playoff picture looking in last season.
Last season was the first time the Bucs did not make the playoffs under Todd Bowles, and the first time in five straight seasons.
Continuity on offense, including Baker Mayfield, with young receivers expected to take a leap and a retooled defense will give Tampa Bay hope of reclaiming this division yet again, though it’s a division where all three other teams should and will feel confident about their own chances as well.
Let’s take a closer look at what the Buccaneers have done this offseason.
Buccaneers Key Free Agent Signings/Departures
*SIGNED IN FREE AGENCY
- LB Alex Anzalone
- RB Kenneth Gainwell
- QB Jake Browning
- SAF Miles Killebrew
- G Dan Feeney (Re-signed)
- TE Cade Otton (Re-signed)
- DL A’Shawn Robinson
- LB Al-Quadin Muhammad
*DEPARTED IN FREE AGENCY
- QB Teddy Bridgewater
- CB Jamel Dean
- WR Mike Evans
- RB Rachaad White
The Buccaneers lost a future Hall of Fame wide receiver and face of the franchise player in Mike Evans this offseason when he chose the San Francisco 49ers in free agency. Evans was third on the team in targets in 2025, behind rookie Emeka Egbuka and tight end Cade Otton, who was brought back this offseason. This is an offense that will also be looking for more contributions from Jalen McMillan, Chris Godwin Jr., Tez Johnson, and a rookie “pet cat” of many draft observers, Ted Hurst.
In the backfield, the team’s new complementary back to Bucky Irving is Kenneth Gainwell, coming over from the Steelers to replace Rachaad White. Gainwell and Irving both have big play potential as runners or pass catchers, and if the Bucs have a more consistent downfield pass game in 2026, watch out for what these backs can bring between the tackles to make this a more imposing offense as well.
With a more balanced offensive approach and work done in the offseason to be quicker in the front seven with more pass rush juice, the Bucs will be looking for better close game outcomes to potentially take a massive leap in the win column. Alex Anzalone and A’Shawn Robinson are key additions to this front seven, along with first round pick Rueben Bain out of nearby Miami, which brings us to the rest of what the Bucs did in April’s draft.
Buccaneers 2026 Draft Class
- Round 1, Pick 15: EDGE Rueben Bain Jr.
- Round 2, Pick 14 (46 Overall): LB Josiah Trotter
- Round 3, Pick 20 (84 Overall): WR Ted Hurst III
- Round 4, Pick 16 (116 Overall): CB Keionte Scott
- Round 5, Pick 15 (155 Overall): DT Demonte Capehart
- Round 5, Pick 20 (160 Overall): G Billy Schrauth
- Round 6, Pick 4 (185 Overall): TE Bauer Sharp
The Bucs landed not one, but two Miami Hurricane defenders that were a part of a team that went to the national championship game in their home stadium, Bain and cornerback Keionte Scott.
With a defensive tackle group that just added Robinson to pair with Calijah Kancey and Vita Vea, Bain is stepping into an ideal situation to win one-on-ones off the edge. How his consistent ability to do this in college would translate to the next level was hotly debated all spring, but Bain can certainly be an impact player very early on to watch as the Bucs try to get back to a higher standard on defense.
Keionte Scott is a true nickel cornerback that feels like a natural fit in Bowles’ coverage scheme, while linebacker Josiah Trotter can slot in next to the freshly-signed Anzalone to develop as a rookie. The Bucs did a great job adding draft picks at positions they already have established talent and experience, giving them healthy depth and a chance to be more of a threat deeper into the season.
Buccaneers 2026 Coaching Staff
*New to staff this season:
- Offensive Coordinator Zac Robinson
- Passing Game Coordinator T.J. Yates
- Special Teams Coordinator Danny Smith
- Defensive Line Marcus West
- Quarterbacks Chandler Whitmer
A concept that Cowboys fans are familiar with when it comes to the upside of hiring new defensive coordinator Christian Parker strongly applies to the Bucs coaching changes this offseason as well, and that is the added benefit of pulling a coach away from a division rival.
Tampa Bay took this to an almost extreme level, nabbing offensive coordinator Zac Robinson away from the Atlanta Falcons, T.J. Yates from the Falcons, and adding QB coach Chandler Whitmer, who’s last NFL job was in 2024 – also with the Falcons.
The Bucs and Falcons have played six straight one score games against one another, with the Bucs winning four of them, and these teams splitting last season. Atlanta is not expected to be very prolific on offense this season, and stealing assistants away on this side of the ball to create another situation for new Falcons HC Kevin Stefanski to navigate is well done if you’re a fan of the swashbucklers.
Robinson’s best trait as an OC is his ability to scheme receivers open on the perimeter, something the Bucs need more consistency in as they evaluate this season if Mayfield will be the guy beyond 2025. Working alongside former longtime QB T.J. Yates as passing game coordinator and Whitmer as Mayfield’s latest QB coach gives the Bucs, on paper, a very strong brain trust around this offense that carries big expectations at the moment.
Whitmer’s most recent stop is arguably the best résumé builder any coach coming from college to the NFL has ever had, being the QB coach and co-offensive coordinator for Fernando Mendoza and Indiana, who became the first number one overall pick out of Indiana after winning the school’s first national championship which capped an undefeated season – of course also a first for that program.
NFL fans at large are familiar with the edge Mayfield plays with when feeling doubted or disrespected in any way, and although that angle comes from his own front office this time around, it very may still work to unlock the best of Baker in 2026, with coaching being a huge part of this equation too.
Depending on how malleable the Bucs defense is under Bowles who will need to show adjustments as his time in the league passes the quarter century mark this season, this is a team with strong coaching continuity elsewhere and many reasons to believe in their ability to contend yet again. One of the best thing the defense appears built to do is limit big plays through the air, something they can exploit further with their own vertical pass offense, but how they match up physically against the run is a question mark.
The Cowboys will take on this Bucs defense at home in primetime on a short week, immediately following a road test against the tough Houston Texans defense in week four. The last time these teams met in primetime was also in Arlington, with a 6-8 Cowboys team out of the playoff picture giving an inspired December performance in what proved to be the third to last game of the Mike McCarthy tenure. Dallas won 26-24, their last win of that season.
It hardly feels like a rivalry, but all of the recent Buccaneers and Cowboys meetings have had some interesting raised stakes, and although the 2026 meeting comes early, it should feel no different on Thursday Night Football. This game is the start of a stretch for HC Brian Schottenheimer in year two where he will go up against very experienced head coaches, starting with Bowles and then Matt LaFleur in week six at the Packers, followed by Nick Sirianni at the Eagles in week seven. This comes after already playing John Harbaugh in the season opener and Dan Quinn in week two, so just how much the Cowboys offense puts the big talk behind them and goes forward with actual results against the Bucs will be another early season test for Dak Prescott and company.
Previous 2026 Opponent Previews:
Philadelphia Eagles
New York Giants
Seattle Seahawks
Arizona Cardinals
Baltimore Ravens
Washington Commanders
Green Bay Packers
Houston Texans
Los Angeles Rams
San Francisco 49ers
