Riley Dixon’s Bounce-Back Season Hits a High Note with NFC Special Teams Player of the Week Honor
It’s been a season of growth, grit, and now, recognition for Riley Dixon.
The Buccaneers punter was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week following his standout performance in Tampa Bay’s 20-17 win over the Cardinals on Sunday. And if you’ve been tracking Dixon’s journey this season, you know this isn’t just about five punts and a stat line-it’s about a veteran specialist finding his rhythm again when his team needed it most.
Let’s start with the numbers. Dixon punted five times in Week 13, averaging 48 yards per punt with a net average of 46.8 yards.
That net figure wasn’t just solid-it was his third-best of the season and his highest in any game where he’s punted at least four times. But it wasn’t just about distance.
Dixon was surgical with his placement, pinning three punts inside Arizona’s 20-yard line and two of those inside the 10. That kind of field-flipping precision helped the Bucs win the hidden yardage battle, holding the Cardinals to an average starting field position of their own 12-yard line after punts-a mark that led the NFC for the week.
That’s the kind of impact you don’t always see on the highlight reel, but coaches and teammates definitely notice.
And it wasn’t long ago that Dixon’s spot on the roster was under scrutiny. After signing with Tampa Bay this past offseason, the veteran punter got off to a rocky start. Two blocked punts in the first four weeks raised eyebrows, and questions started swirling about whether the Bucs had a punting problem.
Dixon didn’t shy away from those struggles. Back in October, he opened up about the challenges of adjusting to a new environment and the mental side of bouncing back.
“Every day punting is the same, and every day punting is different,” he said at the time. “There’s always a challenge, and you’ll never figure it out fully.
Just try to keep those highs and lows closer and just be more consistent.”
That mindset has clearly paid off.
Sunday’s performance was a masterclass in situational punting-something Dixon has built his career on. Since entering the league as a seventh-round pick by the Broncos in 2016, he’s quietly put together one of the more productive resumes among active punters.
He leads the NFL in total punts (717), punting yards (32,916), and net punting yards (29,718) over that span. He also ranks third in punts downed inside the 20 (251) and is tied for fourth in punts inside the 10 (90).
Those numbers aren’t just filler-they’re field position gold.
After the game, Dixon talked about how he’s approached the second half of the season with a more measured mindset. “Sometimes you try to do a little too much, try to go for the superhero shots,” he said.
“But this game calls on you to do your best and put your team in the best position to secure field position. It takes a little bit of patience, but I’m learning as well.”
That patience is paying off. And so is the Bucs' special teams unit as a whole.
Dixon’s award marks the fifth time this season a Buccaneers player has been named Player of the Week and the third time a special teamer has earned the honor. He joins Kameron Johnson (Week 1) and Chase McLaughlin (Week 8) in that category. It’s also the first time since 2009 that Tampa Bay has had three different special teams players win the award in a single season-tying a franchise record.
And for Dixon, it’s a moment that validates the work he’s put in to right the ship after a turbulent start. He’s not just holding down the punter job in Tampa Bay-he’s thriving in it.
Field position might not always be flashy. But when Riley Dixon is on his game, it’s a weapon.