After one road win and a full week back at the AdventHealth Training Center, the Buccaneers finally get a chance to show off at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday night. Tampa Bay’s preseason meeting with the Kansas City Chiefs is the team’s lone home exhibition game, and it comes before the Bucs shift into joint practices with the Jaguars in Jacksonville next week and then the preseason finale on Friday, Aug. 28.
The spotlight in this one belongs to the defense. From a highly anticipated rookie debut to a few young players trying to strengthen their grip on roster spots, there’s plenty worth tracking when Tampa Bay takes the field.
OLB Rueben Bain Jr. - No. 3
All eyes are on Rueben Bain Jr., the Bucs’ top pick in the 2026 draft. When he slipped to No. 15 and landed in Tampa Bay, it changed the feel of the team’s offseason, and he has done nothing since arriving to cool that excitement.
The rookie has looked every bit like a player who can change the pass rush right away, and Saturday night should bring his first real game look. A sack of Chiefs quarterback Justin Fields would send the home crowd into a frenzy.
OLB Jack Pyburn - No. 58
Jack Pyburn has had a strange week. The undrafted rookie opened with two sacks in the win over the Jets, then news broke that he was part of a lawsuit against the NCAA seeking another year of college eligibility.
Todd Bowles said Thursday he had not heard what Pyburn’s plans might be, which leaves his status worth watching. If he plays, the question is simple: can he build on that debut?
If he doesn’t, that tells its own story about what comes next.
DT Elijah Roberts - No. 95
Elijah Roberts made a strong case last Friday night against the Jets. He logged a sack of Bailey Zappe, helped force an interception with pressure on Zappe, and added a solid run stop.
His pass-rush ability has long stood out, but the run defense showed up too, and that’s the kind of detail that makes his week one performance feel especially encouraging. He looks like a player moving up the depth chart and into a meaningful role in the line rotation.
NT Rakeem Nunez-Roches - No. 56
Rakeem Nunez-Roches may not even play, but if he does, he’s hard to ignore. He brings energy, he talks, and he gives the defense some edge.
Tampa Bay brought in both him and A’Shawn Robinson this offseason to help shape the tone up front, but there’s still a real question here: at 33 and after three seasons away from the Bucs, can he still be a useful rotational presence inside? With so much competition on the line, proving he still has it would make that a non-issue.
ILB Josiah Trotter - No. 45
Josiah Trotter’s preseason debut was quiet in the box score, but there was still plenty to like once the film was checked. The 21-year-old is expected to start next to Alex Anzalone this year, so every snap he gets in August matters. Playing at home for the first time should add a little extra to the moment, and he’s one of the defensive players worth following closely.
CB Jacob Parrish - No. 25
Cornerback remains a position with questions for Tampa Bay heading into 2026, but Jacob Parrish shifting from nickel to outside is not one of the biggest worries. Still, it’s a new assignment, and Saturday offers the first chance to see it in a game setting. He has handled the change well in camp, and now it’s about whether that translates against Kansas City.
CB Ayden Garnes - No. 24
Ayden Garnes has been one of the fastest risers in camp over the last month. The undrafted rookie flashed early in training camp and followed that with a pick-six in the preseason opener.
Coverage has been a strength, and the next step is cleaning up the tackling. Another strong outing Saturday night, especially with better finishing, could go a long way toward locking down a roster spot.
NCB Keionte Scott - No. 22
Keionte Scott turned in a quietly strong NFL debut against the Jets, especially in pass coverage. That alone makes him interesting to watch again here.
The bigger question is whether Todd Bowles will let him blitz, especially since Scott had all five of his sacks last year at Miami rushing from the same side as Rueben Bain Jr. Maybe Bowles saves that look for the regular season, but this game should give another clear view of the fourth-round pick alongside some of the defense’s starters.
S Tykee Smith - No. 23
Tykee Smith has had a solid camp, though not one packed with splash plays. He’s been steady and assignment-sound, and he hasn’t put much on tape that would count as a misstep. Still, it would be nice to see him make a bigger play in front of the home crowd in his first preseason action.
In Other News...
Bucs Helped Create A Wild Harrison Butker Moment That Wont Count
The preseason can produce some strange footnotes, and the Buccaneers found themselves part of one Sunday when Harrison Butker drilled a 69-yard field goal against Tampa Bay. The kick would have topped the NFLs official mark, but preseason games do not count in the record books, leaving the Chiefs standout with a booming reminder of what he can do and the Bucs with an unusual line on the game receipt.
Butker was sharp enough overall to give the moment even more weight, adding two other long field goals while missing one try. His 69-yarder still lands as one of the longest made in any actual football game, tied for second all-time, even if it will not live alongside the leagues official records. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Fringe Roster Battle Got A Lot More Intense Vs Chiefs
The first half against the Chiefs gave the Buccaneers a clearer look at the edges of their roster, because the starters were out there only two drives before the backups and fringe contenders took over. For a team still sorting out depth across the board, the opening preseason minutes became less about the headline names and more about which young players could make a case when the real evaluation began.
Yaya Diaby flashed, and Fordham, David Walker and Nelson all had moments that helped their standing, while Hurst and Foerner were among the players whose mistakes showed how thin the margin can be in games like this. In a contest built around job interviews more than final scores, those kinds of snaps can matter a lot, and the second half should tell Tampa Bay even more about who is separating from the pack. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Preseason Game Sparked An NFL Take Fans Will Hate
Harrison Butkers latest showcase came in a preseason game against the Buccaneers, where the Chiefs kicker launched a 69-yard field goal that would have shattered the NFLs official regular-season mark. It did not count in the record book because of the setting, but it was still the kind of kick that reminds everyone how far the position has evolved and how little room there is for error when a specialist can turn a casual-looking snap into a near midfield celebration.
The reaction afterward was almost as sharp as the kick itself, with NFL analyst Joe Schad publicly floating the idea that the league competition committee should consider narrowing the goal posts. For Tampa Bay, it was the sort of offseason headline that lands with extra sting because it came against their own defense and turned a routine preseason snap into a broader debate about where kicking is headed next. [Read more 🡒]