(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.
June 4th, 2026 at 4:54 am
Agreed!
But!
They need to increase padded and hitting in preseason practice
June 4th, 2026 at 6:31 am
Fact doesn’t always follow reasoning. But, …
Tweaking weak parts of the human structure by putting it under real game strain may identify the weaker parts. Identify, rest, rehabilitate and strengthen those weaker parts as can be done before with less pressure in camp and the preseason, and the player should be better prepared when the season starts.
Wait until the season has started to tweak the weak parts, and the urgency of competition seems likely to put players back into games after only a compressed regimen to put a patch on the problem with bigger problems more likely to follow.
The other side of that is, the early contact is only helpful if it is actually used as part of a strengthening and conditioning process rather than as a license for coaches to grind players into the dust “building toughness” rather than identifying and strengthening weaknesses.
June 4th, 2026 at 6:35 am
I’d like to see a spread sheet comparing every teams injuries year to year. Are there certain teams that have more serious injuries over time than other teams or are they just random with no pattern at all? Joe that would be a good wknd assignment for you. LOL
June 4th, 2026 at 6:49 am
“The new preseason schedule is set! We are somebody now!” @Joe ?!
June 4th, 2026 at 6:52 am
“The new preseason schedule is set! We are somebody now!” @Joe ?!
June 4th, 2026 at 7:03 am
I am an amateur musician that plays in a band. We practice individually, as a group and have rehearsals. Equate the individual practices to a pro athlete as staying in shape; band practices as underwear football; and, rehearsals as pre-season football.
June 4th, 2026 at 7:48 am
need the preseason…maybe cut it down to 2 games but preseason isnt worthless, ask Victor Cruz or Terrell Davis…
GO BUCS!!!!
June 4th, 2026 at 7:51 am
“Things are going to start happening to me now!”
Great “The Jerk” reference Joes!
June 4th, 2026 at 7:58 am
B!tch year after year all you want. If you don’t like them, tell us who is holding a gun to your head making you cover them or watching them.
One Joe loves them, the other Joe can’t wait to elminate them. What the Joes agree on is that nobody will miss them if the NFL wipes them out.
June 4th, 2026 at 8:16 am
From 1970-1977 each team played six preseason games.
And they beat the hell out of each other during 2 a-days.
Now, they barely hit each other and injury percentages have risen for non contact injuries. Players are bigger and faster and in better shape today so they get injured more.
Something seems off there.
June 4th, 2026 at 8:35 am
18 games… two pre-season games. The Joe that wrote this is an idiot. There are alot of players in the NFL that made a name for themselves in the pre-season. Not only that these guys need some live game action speed not just practice.
June 4th, 2026 at 8:46 am
Preseason games are about one thing and one thing only $$$$$$$$$$. When the next CBA is negotiated is when you will see the end of exhibition games.
Heck in the old days the Super Bowl champs had one extra preseason game against the College All Stars. These were not powder puff love tap affairs as the All Stars were out to win and the Champs were overweight and out of shape from a winters worth of banquet appearances at the Kiwanis club.
June 4th, 2026 at 8:50 am
Yup.
June 4th, 2026 at 8:51 am
Preseason games are a great opportunity for Bowles to sharpen his HC\DC skills.
How else would you expect him to have the 32nd ranked red zone defense ready to give up 400-500 yards per game???
That type of defensive domination has to be forged in the fire of preseason football.
Just gotta sports journalist it better.
June 4th, 2026 at 9:44 am
Don’t worry Bowles will just coach it better. Go Bucs
June 4th, 2026 at 9:44 am
I hope they do not put any important players in the preseason games this year.
June 4th, 2026 at 10:06 am
“The only thing those things are good for are injuries…” – Joe
I understand your point. I personally think we need at least 2 preseason games just to shake off the rust, but I could get behind one or none too.
Come to think of it…we currently have 3 of them…making those games cound would raise us to a 20 game season…increase the roster and I would be completely fine with that.
June 4th, 2026 at 10:06 am
I love the Bucs
June 4th, 2026 at 10:40 am
I always like to root for young guys trying to make the team. Plus, it’s football, with pads played by pros (or would be pros). Heck I watch UFL and enjoy it. @Joe, thanks for “The Jerk” reference, made my day “The new phone books here! I am somebody!” still cracks me up.
June 4th, 2026 at 12:44 pm
Not that I care about preseason but this is a ridiculous argument. It was an even playing field, nobody had a preseason and somebody had to win the Super Bowl. No matter what, a team that didn’t have a preseason game was going to win the Super Bowl.
“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?”
June 4th, 2026 at 1:02 pm
The players Union needs more guts.
NFL players don’t realize how powerful they are.
My list of demands
Number 1: 60 man rosters
Number 2: Never ever have a Sunday Ànd Thursday game tbe same week
Number 3. 2 bye weeks.
Number 4: health insurance for life
Number 5: Ànd NFL D league. (Like the NBA)
Number 6: double the practice squad size
Number 7: ban Astro turf
Number 8: allow cannabis use like the NBA
Did I miss anything?
June 4th, 2026 at 3:19 pm
“Number 5: Ànd NFL D league. (Like the NBA)”
Absolutely not, Teach.
The NBA did that in 2001 and that, coupled with 1 & done in terms of eligibility for college players who’d otherwise develop in school kind of led to the leagues’ overall talent pool being watered down. Which effected the level of competition with some rule changes that favored offensive production at the expense of how teams played defense. Not even mentioning the “super team”/”Big 3” phenomena that swept through the league after Lebron went to Miami.
Anyways, just my 2 cent on that and Knicks in 5
June 4th, 2026 at 4:10 pm
i like the preseason except for the jmac injury that was horrible- i can’t freaking wait for football august 14 can’t come fast enough but…. bubble wrap calijah and the entire o line and the skill position players, use it to check for depth. don’t risk bain or baker or anyone valuable!!!!
June 4th, 2026 at 4:49 pm
Just gotta LynchMob50 it better.
June 4th, 2026 at 4:59 pm
Teacherman Says:
June 4th, 2026 at 1:02 pm
The players Union needs more guts.
NFL players don’t realize how powerful they are.
My list of demands
Number 1: 60 man rosters
Number 2: Never ever have a Sunday Ànd Thursday game tbe same week
Number 3. 2 bye weeks.
Number 4: health insurance for life
Number 5: Ànd NFL D league. (Like the NBA)
Number 6: double the practice squad size
Number 7: ban Astro turf
Number 8: allow cannabis use like the NBA
Did I miss anything?
———-
How about the NFL just say no and tell them to use their college educations to go find a ‘real’ job.
Anywho, without your hippie agenda at work…
#1 – Sure, but linked to an 18 week reg season
#2 – Yes, but should teams should be doing this on their own anyways
#3 – Yes, but linked to an 18 week reg season (also considering the NFL has already had a 2 bye week schedule – in 1993 – I don’t know why they don’t do this already, they’re leaving an extra week of TV money on the table, should also be tied to starting the season earlier, not extending it later)
#4 – Get out of here, for life because they played in a the 4th quarter of a week 17 game? Get a real job, hippie.
#5 – No. Although a NFL Europe type of minor league would make sense, but not part of an NFLPA deal
#6 – No. They’ve already greatly expanded the size of practice squads to 17 players, and you’re also wanting expanded rosters. Too much watering down of of the available player pool.
#7 – No.
#8 – If you can’t pass a once a year pot test, when you know it’s coming and only need to be clean for 2 weeks, then you shouldn’t be in the NFL since you’re a moron, and clearly have some huge mental issues
June 5th, 2026 at 12:38 am
The entire 2026 season is preseason for 2027, so the new head coach and GM can evaluate the carnage and see if anyone is worth keeping after the Great Regressor has finished his job.