After seeing two of Riley Dixon's punts blocked in the first four games, the Bucs have decided to bring in some punters for competition.
According to Fox Sports' Greg Auman, the Bucs are planning on bringing in two punts for a workout on Tuesday and could sign one to the practice squad for a possible elevation on game day. Auman reported the news on his X account.
Bucs will be bringing in competition at punter after Riley Dixon has had two punts blocked in the last three games. A workout Tuesday should yield a practice-squad signing, a potential elevation and a more direct threat to Dixon's roster spot.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) September 29, 2025
The two names Auman reported were Ryan Stonehouse, a former Tennessee punter who led the NFL in punting in 2022 and 2023, and Brad Robbins' who was Cincinnati's punter during the 2023 season before missing the 2024 season with an injury. He punted with the Bills this year in Week 1.
Among the punters the Bucs are bringing in for a workout Tuesday: Ryan Stonehouse, who led NFL in punting in 2022 and 2023 with the Titans, and Brad Robbins, who was the Bengals' punter in 2023, missed last year with a quad injury, punted for Bills in Week 1.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) September 29, 2025
Stonehouse has averaged 52.2 yards per punt in his three years in the league with a 41.9-yard net average. He has 26 punts that have gone for a touchback and 80 punts that have been downed inside the 20. Stonehouse has only had two punts blocked, which came in the 2024 season.
Robbins averaged 44.3 yards per punt in 2023 with a 40.1-yard net average. He had five punts that went for touchbacks and 20 punts downed inside the 20. Robbins has not had a blocked punt at the NFL level.
Bucs Are Looking At Everything To Prevent More Blocked Punts
Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles wasn't assigning blame to 32-year old veteran punter Riley Dixon for blocked punts against the Texans and the Eagles. Instead, Bowles said it was mostly on the blocking up front.
"It wasn't really a stunt," Bowles said on Monday. "We didn't help out like we should have and it shouldn't have happened. It was a very routine play."

Bucs P Riley Dixon – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Bowles was asked if Philadelphia attacked the punt in a similar manner than Houston did.
"It really doesn't matter," Bowles said. "They're all bad. Whether they block it from the outside or the inside, it can't happen. Those are things that cannot happen for us to have guys on our punt team that are here strictly for special teams."
But Bowles didn't let Dixon, who has nine blocked punts in his career, off the hook.
"He can speed it up too," Bowles said when asked if he felt as if Dixon's punts were too slow in getting off his foot.

Bucs ST coordinator Thomas McGaughey – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Bowles was clearly agitated over not just the two blocked punts, but also a blocked field goal that was returned for a touchdown against the Jets. That has put special teams coach Thomas McGaughey on the hot seat.
"Right now, we're looking at all avenues to improve our special teams," Bowles said. "All inclusive. It's coaching. It's personnel. It's all inclusive. It's never just one."

Scott Reynolds is in his 30th year of covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the vice president, publisher and senior Bucs beat writer for PewterReport.com. Author of the popular SR's Fab 5 column on Fridays, Reynolds oversees web development and forges marketing partnerships for PewterReport.com in addition to his editorial duties. A graduate of Kansas State University in 1995, Reynolds spent six years giving back to the community as the defensive coordinator/defensive line coach for his sons' Pop Warner team, the South Pasco Predators. Reynolds can be reached at: [email protected]