(Worthless) Preseason Games Set
June 4th, 2026
NFL touts preseason schedule.
Oh boy, time to make sure when your summer ends. The new preseason schedule is set! The new preseason schedule is set! We are somebody now!
Yes, the Joe typing here is crossing his fingers that when the NFL does go to an 18-game schedule, NFL chieftain Roger Goodell finally banishes NFL preseason games to the dustbin of history where they belong. Like yesterday.
The only thing those things are good for are injuries, right Jalen McMillan? Oh, and shortening veterans’ careers. The NFL brainwashing machine will have you believe without preseason games, the very foundation of the NFL will crumble before our eyes.
It’s. Just. Not. True.
Absolute, utter nonsense. Or as the Brits would say, “Rubbish!” The NFL is the lone level of football that forces this tripe upon innocent Americans. How does college and high school football survive without preseason games?
(Yes, Joe knows in *some* states there are jamborees where teams will play two or three quarters of football before the regular season. This is not the case in all states and yet football somehow survives to this very day, even.)
Anyway, the NFL sent out an email yesterday touting the official preseason schedule. Here are the Bucs’ worthless preseason game dates:
Bucs at Jets, Friday, Aug. 14
Chiefs at Bucs, Saturday, Aug. 22
Bucs at Jags, Friday, Aug. 28
Set your calendars now!
Three days after the Tampa Bay Amazon Warehouse Workers tangle with the Jacksonville Short Order Cooks, is Cutdown Day, when teams have to whittle rosters down to 53 men by 4 p.m.
Oh, and for those victims of the NFL marketing machine who still believe a team cannot function without preseason games, Joe has a question for you:
How the hell did the Bucs, with a brand new quarterback and four new starters on offense, total, ever win the Super Bowl for the 2020 season without one snap of preseason football?
Reminder: All Bucs preseason games will be televised live on WLFA-TV Channel 8.
June 4th, 2026 at 1:04 am
Well in all honesty, it did take until a week 12 close call with KC where they lost the game to Tyrek Hill in the first quarter. They still only lost 27_24.
They ran the table after that.
Maybe with some pre-season games that timetable would move up?
Kinda around week 8 in which they originally told us it would click.
I’m not saying it’s worth full price or anything, but you can’t scoff at it being guys chance to make the team.
I’m actually really interested in Daniels at QB and a host of 3rd and 4th string backups. We needed those guys just last year.
June 4th, 2026 at 1:07 am
Joe I used to hate it because I wanted games to matter but they didn’t.
Just super excited for the season but I still think it’s better than reading practice notes only. And at least they have pads on.
June 4th, 2026 at 1:15 am
Pretty much every former player I ever hear talk about this says they wanted snaps in the preseason and practice – that jumping directly into regular season games and playing full speed with limited practices and no preseason is what gets guys hurt. Additionally the data says there has been an increase in injury duration since the NFL started limited practices and shortened the preseason.
For the preseason, we have one study that looked at the 2020 season, which didn’t have a preseason, and it found that injuries increased by 58% over over the first 4 weeks compared to previous years.
Additionally a 2018 study found the number of injuries overall rose by about a 15% increase between 2007 and 2016. That is pre and post the 2011 CBA that limited practices and made them softer overall.
I know you weren’t talking about practices Joe – I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk about wanting them to be softer, but they’re linked in my mind. I know coaches use those mixed practices basically as preseason replacements now – but again, past players I heard talk about this say getting under the lights in the stadium, in front of a crowd (even a small one) is just different than practice reps, even at full speed.