Chiefs vs. Buccaneers: Live updates, highlights for preseason Week 2

The Kansas City Chiefs will face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium this evening in Week 2 of the 2026 NFL preseason.

Last week, Kansas City came up short in its exhibition matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, and the Chiefs are sure to be motivated to earn their preseason win on the road against Tampa Bay.

For their part, the Buccaneers earned a 24-16 win over the New York Jets in their first preseason contest, and should prove to be a worthy opponent for Kansas City in tonight’s primetime showdown.

Stay tuned to this live blog for real-time updates on the Chiefs’ tilt with Tampa Bay:

TV channel: KSHB 41Start time: 6:30 p.m. CTAnnouncers: Ari Wolfe (play-by-play), Trent Green (analyst)Sideline reporter: Kimmi Chex, Matt McMullen

Chiefs Radio Network: 96.5 The Fan (96.5 FM)Play-by-Play: Mitch HolthusColor: Danan HughesSideline: Josh Klingler

This preseason tilt will be a key chance for rookie quarterback Garrett Nussmeier to separate himself in the competition to be Patrick Mahomes’ backup. This key roster battle between Nussmeier — a seventh-round pick — and veteran Justin Fields is likely to dominate headlines after the game, as will the contributions of Kansas City’s running backs, led by rookie Emmett Johnson.

Defensively, the Chiefs will just look to escape this game with valuable experience and a minimal number of injuries. Despite its somewhat unimpressive outing against the Rams, Kansas City’s defense kept the game within arm’s reach until the end with the help of Jaden Hicks, who made his case for a starting spot with seven tackles including one for loss.

This game is likely to be uneventful, and fans shouldn’t expect Andy Reid to burn any of his best plays in the preseason. For this reason, I’ll predict a close loss that drops the Chiefs’ preseason record to 0-2.

Final score: Chiefs 17, Buccaneers 21

This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Chiefs vs. Buccaneers: Live updates, highlights for preseason Week 2