Bucs Lock in Punter Riley Dixon for 2026

0:00On March 5th, here's the latest surrounding the NFL. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers just locked in their punter Riley Dixon for the 2026 season by exercising the team option on his contract. This move keeps him off the free agent market and shores up one part of special teams as the team heads into the NFL offseason. Dixon signed a two-year deal worth $6 million last offseason, aiming to boost the Bucks' kicking game. And now with this extension, he's set to stick around and build on his experience. Last season was tough for Dixon, starting with two blocked punts before he settled in. He ranked tied for 11th and total punts was 63, and tied for 5th with 29 inside the 20 yard line, but his average of 44.7 yards per punt placed him 31st in the league. The whole special teams unit struggled under coach Thomas McGogge, who got fired afterward. The Bucks brought in veteran Danny Smith to turn things around, giving Dixon a fresh shot at consistency over a full 17 game slate.

1:01Looking ahead, Tampa Bay plans to focus mostly on defense during free agency to push toward contender status with some offensive tweaks too. Securing Dixon is a smart, low-key step in that build-up. A quick thank you to our sponsor of today's episode. Some chase piece. I put my head in it. S-O-L-I-S-O-L-P-O-C-O-K-C-C-O-P-L-R-E. I put my head in it.