The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will arrive in Cincinnati with the biggest loose ends finally tied up.
What had been a messy stretch for the Bucs is suddenly much cleaner heading into their 2026 season opener against the Bengals on Sunday. Baker Mayfield is no longer operating with contract noise hanging over the week, and Tampa Bay also appears set to have two important pieces back on the field.
Mayfield and the Bucs reached a three-year extension on Tuesday, ending the possibility that the Pro Bowl quarterback would go into Week 1 without a deal in place. That follows the earlier resolution of the Vita Vea situation, when the sides worked out a one-year extension for the Pro Bowl defensive tackle after his holdout over contract talks.
The quarterback situation had been the bigger concern. Mayfield was also seeking an extension before the opener, and for a while it looked possible the sides might not get it done in time. Instead, the agreement landed before Sunday’s game, giving Tampa Bay a cleaner runway against a Bengals defense that has been reshaped.
The Bucs were also navigating injury questions at wide receiver. Emeka Egbuka, dealing with a toe injury, and Jalen McMillan, who has been sidelined by a knee issue, had both been in doubt for Week 1.
Now, both receivers have practiced this week and appear likely to be active against Cincinnati.
Unless something changes late, the Bengals will be facing a Bucs team that is both healthy and settled - and that makes this one of the tougher home tests on the schedule.
In Other News...
Bengals Suddenly Have A Week 1 Reason For Real Optimism
A few days out from Week 1, the Bengals have started to look a lot more like the team they expected to be when camp opened. Shemar Stewart, JaMarr Chase and Tee Higgins have all returned to practice, easing some of the early injury concern that had hung over Cincinnati and giving Zac Taylor a much better baseline as the season opener approaches.
There is still the usual early-season uncertainty that comes with getting a roster fully into game shape, but this is the kind of development the Bengals needed. Taylor has already been setting expectations for fans as the opener nears, and the team also put its 2026 leadership group in place this week, with Dexter Lawrence II joining the captaincy after his recent trade. For a team trying to get its footing right away, the timing could hardly be better. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Have A Surprise New Receiver Fans Should Be Watching
Dohnte Meyers has already packed a lot into his path to the Bengals 53-man roster, and now the former CFL standout is suddenly in the mix as a receiver worth monitoring. After recovering from shoulder surgery and helping win the Grey Cup in Canada, Meyers fought his way onto Cincinnatis roster and gives the team another fresh look at a position where every spot has to be earned.
For Bengals fans, the appeal is obvious: Meyers brings a different backstory and a late-blooming resume into a receiver room that always seems to be one injury or one hot streak away from reshaping itself. His arrival comes amid plenty of AFC North movement elsewhere, but Cincinnatis interest is in whether he can turn a surprising roster spot into something more when the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Erick All Gives Bengals A New Week 1 Question To Watch
Erick All Jr. is back in the conversation for Cincinnati just in time for Week 1, and it adds a fresh layer to a position group already drawing attention. The tight end missed the entire previous season while dealing with knee injuries, but he said he is fully healthy now and preparing to return to action as the Bengals open the year.
Alls comeback makes him one of the more interesting pieces to watch as the season begins, especially because his game is built around a physical style that puts stress on the body. In an interview ahead of the opener, he talked about the work that went into getting back and the importance of staying healthy while trying to help the Bengals win, leaving the real question now on how quickly he can fit back in once the games count. [Read more 🡒]