Buccaneers Exercise Option, Bring Back Punter Riley Dixon

The Buccaneers have exercised the option on punter Riley Dixon’s contract, locking him in for the 2026 season and preventing him from hitting free agency.

Via ESPN’s Adam Schefter,

“Buccaneers exercised the option on punter Riley Dixon’s contract, preventing him from becoming a free agent and tying him to Tampa for the 2026 season, per source.”

The move gives Tampa Bay continuity at punter—Dixon handled both punts and kickoffs last year after joining as a free agent, and the team avoids having to find a replacement in a thin specialist market. By triggering the option, they keep his salary for 2026 on the books (reportedly around $3 million) without negotiating a new deal, while Riley Dixon gets financial security rather than testing the open market.