The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' secondary won't have the luxury of easing into the 2026 season. When they open the year on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1, Todd Bowles' defensive backs will face one of the toughest assignments in the entire NFL right out of the gate.
Why? Because few wide receiver duos in the league can match the sheer firepower of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. With Joe Burrow pulling the trigger, Cincinnati's passing attack remains among the most dangerous in football. Chase brings elite explosiveness and game-breaking ability every time he touches the ball, while Higgins is a massive outside target who thrives on contested catches and can physically dominate smaller defensive backs. It's a nightmare matchup for any secondary, let alone one still searching for consistency.
For Tampa Bay's cornerbacks, this is an immediate trial by fire. The Buccaneers are still looking for steadier play in the secondary after an uneven 2025 campaign from several defensive backs, including Zyon McCollum. After showing flashes of promise earlier in his career, McCollum struggled at times last season against top-tier receivers—and he'll likely draw another difficult assignment right away against Cincinnati's loaded receiving corps.
Beyond McCollum, Tampa Bay is leaning heavily on young, developing defensive backs in Bowles' aggressive scheme. That's a recipe for challenge against a quarterback like Burrow, who excels at diagnosing coverage and quickly attacking mismatches. 2025 second-round pick Benjamin Morrison never fully found his footing last season while battling multiple injuries, and with Jamel Dean now in Pittsburgh, Morrison will compete to be a day-one starter opposite McCollum.
The same goes for Jacob Parrish, who locked down the nickel position last season. He could now shift outside to compete with Morrison after the Buccaneers drafted Keionte Scott in the fourth round. Despite lingering questions at both cornerback and safety, Tampa Bay largely chose to trust internal development rather than aggressively pursuing outside help in the offseason. That faith will be tested immediately against one of the NFL's most explosive passing attacks.