The Bucs' secondary is going to be tested in Week 1 against Bengals

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ cornerback room will not have much time to settle into the 2026 season. The Buccaneers are expected to open the year on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals, giving Todd Bowles’ secondary arguably one of the toughest possible Week 1 assignments.

That is because few wide receiver duos in the NFL can match the firepower of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. With Joe Burrow at quarterback, Cincinnati’s passing attack remains one of the league’s most dangerous. Chase brings elite explosiveness and game-breaking ability every time he touches the football, while Higgins presents a massive outside target capable of winning contested catches and dominating smaller defensive backs.

For Tampa Bay’s cornerbacks, it will be an immediate trial by fire. The Buccaneers are still searching for more consistency within the secondary after an uneven 2025 season from multiple defensive backs, including Zyon McCollum. After showing flashes previously, McCollum struggled at times last season against top-tier receivers and will likely draw another difficult assignment right out of the gate against Cincinnati’s loaded receiving corps.

Beyond McCollum, Tampa Bay is still relying heavily on young and developing defensive backs within Bowles’ aggressive defensive system. That becomes especially challenging against a quarterback like Burrow, who thrives at diagnosing coverage and quickly attacking mismatches. 2025 second-round pick Benjamin Morrison never quite got his feet under him last season while dealing with multiple injuries, and with Jamel Dean having moved on to the Steelers, he will compete to be a day-one starter opposite Zyon.

The same could be said for Jacob Parrish, who won the nickel position outright last season but could now compete with Morrison outside after the Buccaneers drafted Keionte Scott in the 4th round.

Despite lingering questions at both corners and safety, Tampa Bay largely opted to trust internal development rather than aggressively pursuing major veteran reinforcements. While the Buccaneers believe in the upside of their young defensive backs, Week 1 against Burrow, Chase, and Higgins will be one of the fastest ways to find out whether the group is ready for the challenge.