Buccaneers pick up option on key special teamer

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are not letting veteran punter Riley Dixon enter free agency in 2026.

One year after signing Dixon to a two-year, $6 million deal that included a team option for the second year, the Buccaneers are keeping the punter for the duration of his contract. Tampa Bay exercised the option on Dixon’s contract to keep him on the team on Wednesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.

Dixon’s $3 million annual salary is the 10th-highest among punters. He will receive a $2.5 million base salary with a $500,000 roster bonus in 2026, according to Spotrac.

In his first year with the Buccaneers, Dixon averaged 44.7 yards on a career-low 68 punts. Dixon’s 38.9 net yards per punt were his fewest since the 2020 season, but the 46.03 percent of his attempts downed inside the 20-yard line were the most of his career. He had at least one punt downed inside the 20 in all but three games of the 2025 season.

Although not the flashiest player in the league, Dixon’s consistency and reliability are clearly being valued by Tampa Bay. The 32-year-old has yet to miss a game in his 10-year NFL career.

Dixon signed with the Buccaneers in the 2025 offseason after two years with the Denver Broncos. He also punted for the Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants after spending the first two years of his career with the Broncos.

By retaining Dixon, the Buccaneers removed him from their list of potential free agents. Tampa Bay has 17 players hitting unrestricted free agency once the new league year begins, including starters Mike Evans, Lavonte David, Jamel Dean, Sterling Shepard, Rachaad White, Greg Gaines, Haason Reddick and Logan Hall.

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