The Bucs are in the beginning stages of making moves and navigating the offseason. This next week could be franchise-altering in more than one way, as it will be seen whether general manager Jason Licht swings a blockbuster move, if wide receiver Mike Evans re-signs, or if inside linebacker Lavonte David decides to play a 15th season in Tampa Bay.

There will soon be finality to what happens with those scenarios, but on Wednesday evening, an important decision was made for who will be the team’s punter in 2026. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Bucs have exercised their option on punter Riley Dixon.

Bucs Giving Riley Dixon A Vote Of Confidence Heading Into Next Season

With Riley Dixon’s $3 million team option being picked up, it all but shuts the door on the Bucs changing up who will be the team’s punter in 2026. For Dixon, how he ended last season was important in securing his future.

His tenure did not get off to the best start as he made headlines — for the wrong reasons.

Bucs P Riley Dixon – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Dixon had two blocked punts through the first four games of the season, with the second one being a deciding factor in the Bucs 31-25 loss to the Eagles in Week 4. After calls to bring in a new punter — and after the team worked out a couple — they decided to stick it out and see if the ten-year veteran could turn it around. Speaking with him after that game in October, he remained focused on overcoming struggles and aiming for consistency.

“Every day punting is the same, and every day punting is different,” Dixon said then. “Every day brings us new challenges, and that’s what I love about it. There’s always a challenge, and you’ll never figure it out fully. Everybody who says they figured it out, if that were the case, you’d play as if you were 50. Just try to keep those highs and lows closer and just be more consistent.”

Dixon began to find his groove as the year went on, which included him winning NFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 13 against the Cardinals. Overall, he punted 63 times and averaged 44.7 yards per punt (38.9 net yards per punt) in 2025. That included 29 punts downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, which was a career high 46% of the time.

To put his improvement into perspective, the last six games of the season 12 of Dixon’s 19 punts (63.2%) were downed inside of the 20. His ability to “coffin corner” opposing teams and flip the field position became a positive sign.

With the Bucs exercising his 2026 option and bringing in a well-respected voice in new special teams coordinator Danny Smith, perhaps it is only the beginning of Riley Dixon having success punting the football in Tampa Bay.