The Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers face off in Week 7 of the 2026 NFL regular season on Sunday, October 25, 2026, at 1 p.m. EDT at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. In the United States, the divisional matchup will broadcast live on Fox, NFL Sunday Ticket (YouTube TV) and NFL+.
The Carolina Panthers enter Week 7 at the top of the NFC South standings with a 3-2 record, holding a 1.5-game lead over the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers sit at 1-5 on the season after surrendering a 16-3 fourth-quarter lead against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6 to lose in overtime. In the 2025 season, the two rivals met twice during the final three weeks while competing for the NFC South division title: the Carolina Panthers won the first meeting by three points with a late fourth-quarter field goal, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the rematch, which was the most recent meeting between the franchises, by a two-point margin.
Where to watch Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers live
Viewers in the United States have three official broadcast and streaming options to follow the NFC South matchup live.
- Fox (over-the-air television)
- NFL Sunday Ticket via YouTube TV (pay-per-view)
- NFL+ (streaming)
Start time and location for Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Date: Sunday, October 25, 2026
- Start time: 1 p.m. EDT (13:00 local stadium time in America/New_York)
- Location: Bank of America Stadium, in Charlotte, North Carolina
- Competition: NFL (North American football league) — Week 7
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How the Carolina Panthers enter the game
Led by head coach Dave Canales, the Carolina Panthers ruled out two defensive players in their final injury report released on Friday (23). Outside linebackers Jaelan Phillips, dealing with a hamstring injury, and Thomas Incoom, sidelined by a calf issue, are officially out of the contest. Rookie tackle Monroe Freeling, recovering from a knee injury, was listed as questionable after logging full practice sessions during the week. Linebacker Bam Martin-Scott, who had a hamstring injury, opened his three-week practice window during the week but has not yet been activated to the main roster.
Several Carolina Panthers players who appeared on injury reports earlier in the week practiced normally on Friday (23) and carry no injury designation for the game. That cleared group includes starting quarterback Bryce Young (knee), running back AJ Dillon (ankle), running back Chuba Hubbard, tight end Darren Waller, linebacker Devin Lloyd, right tackle Taylor Moton and defensive tackle Derrick Brown. Complete starting lineups of the 22 offensive and defensive starters have not yet been confirmed, as official NFL inactive lists are released 90 minutes before kickoff.
How the Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter the game
Under head coach Todd Bowles, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter Week 7 trying to rebound from their overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Addressing the need to close out games after that defeat, Todd Bowles stated: “You never have the game under control in this league until it’s over. We knew it was going to be a hard-fought battle. They are a tough team, and we knew it was going to go down to the end.”
In their final injury report on Friday (23), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ruled out wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (concussion and foot), offensive tackle Luke Goedeke (calf) and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (cracked rib). Additionally, the franchise placed linebacker Christian Rozeboom on the Injured Reserve list during the week and elevated linebacker Caden Fordham from the practice squad for the game against the Carolina Panthers.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield was officially listed as questionable due to a dislocated right thumb that kept him out of the previous three games, during which backup quarterback Jalon Daniels played. However, Baker Mayfield practiced in full during the week and is expected to start. Other key players on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster for the divisional matchup include wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr., running back Bucky Irving, defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson, linebacker Yaya Diaby and kicker Chase McLaughlin. As with the home team, the full 22-player starting lineup will only be confirmed 90 minutes prior to kickoff when the inactive list is announced.
Read also: Las Vegas Raiders vs Buffalo Bills: where to watch live and start time (NFL, Oct 18)
Officiating and head-to-head history for Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The officiating crew, including the referee and on-field officials assigned by the NFL for this game, has not yet been announced. In the NFL, there is no video assistant referee system in the mold of soccer’s VAR; instead, play reviews are conducted by the on-field officiating crew in coordination with the league’s central replay office.
In the overall head-to-head history between the two NFC South franchises, the Carolina Panthers hold a narrow 26-25 advantage over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
