BuccaneersFan.com • Player Spotlight • Tampa Bay No. 9
Current official portrait: Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Punter & holder • 11th NFL season
Making field position matter
Riley T. Dixon
- Born
- August 24, 1993 • Oneida, New York
- Hometown
- Blossvale, New York
- Listed size
- 6 feet 4 inches • 221 pounds
- High school
- Christian Brothers Academy • Syracuse, New York
- College
- Syracuse University • 2011–2015
- Draft
- April 30, 2016 • Denver • Round 7, No. 228 overall
- Joined Tampa Bay
- March 13, 2025
Sources: current Buccaneers profile, Syracuse biography and Denver’s 2023 media guide. Syracuse verifies the middle initial T.; Oneida is his birthplace and Blossvale his hometown.
Sources: Denver’s draft announcement and the Syracuse record below. NFL figures stop after November 1, 2026 (Week 8), checked November 3.
Riley Dixon’s route to Tampa Bay began as a walk-on at Syracuse and took him through Denver, New York, Los Angeles and a second stay in Denver. The Buccaneers signed him in March 2025 to bring experience to their punting unit. His college beginnings; his Tampa Bay arrival.
For the Krewe, his work is a reason to follow a punt all the way to its finish. Distance matters, along with where the ball lands, whether it can be returned and how much field the opposing offense must cover. Dixon also handles the quiet, precise job of holding for placekicks.
Four clubs • Two Denver chapters • Tampa Bay since 2025
A specialist’s long NFL route
2016–2017 The first Denver chapter.
The Broncos used their final selection of the 2016 draft on Dixon. He won the punting job and earned a place on the 2016 PFWA All-Rookie Team. His first two professional seasons established the start of a career that has continued into its second decade. The draft announcement; his rookie honor.
2018–2024 New York, Los Angeles and back.
Denver traded Dixon to the Giants on April 20, 2018. He spent four seasons there, then joined the Rams in 2022. On March 21, 2023, Denver brought him back for what became two more seasons with the Broncos. The transaction history; Denver’s return announcement.
2025–present A place in Tampa Bay’s trio.
The Bucs signed Dixon on March 13, 2025, after using three punters the previous season. In 2026, the club retained him by exercising the option year of that agreement. He returned alongside kicker Chase McLaughlin and long snapper Evan Deckers. The signing; the 2026 outlook.
November 30, 2025 • Week 13 vs. Arizona
A late punt that helped protect a lead
Five punts • Three inside the 20
46.8
NET YARDS PER PUNT
48.0-yard gross average.
NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.
TAMPA BAY 20 • ARIZONA 17
At the two-minute warning, Dixon’s 59-yard punt sent Greg Dortch back to the Arizona four. The return ended at the nine, and Tampa Bay’s defense followed with a stop. Dixon earned his first NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award, announced December 3. The club’s award account.
It was an afternoon when a specialist’s contribution was easy to trace: a narrow lead, a long field and an opportunity for the defense to finish.
Two jobs for No. 9
Punting, holding and working with the unit
The November 3, 2026 official depth chart lists Dixon as both punter and holder. Deckers supplies the snap, while McLaughlin handles field goals, extra points and kickoffs. Those assignments put Dixon in the middle of two different operations: delivering a punt and preparing the ball for the kicker. The current specialist assignments.
A holder receives the snap, places the ball and presents it for the approaching kicker. On a punt, the protection, kick and coverage have to work together. Watching those connections gives fans more to notice than the ball’s flight alone: a secure exchange, a clean departure and coverage arriving where it is needed.
The trio returned intact for 2026, with Danny Smith arriving as special teams coordinator. The club’s preseason coverage identified the coaching change as a new part of Dixon’s second Tampa Bay season. The personnel offered continuity while the unit worked with a new coordinator. The returning specialists; the coaching change.
NFL regular season • 2016–2026
The punting record through Week 8
The season table follows both Denver stints, four Giants seasons, his Rams year and his time with Tampa Bay. The 2026 line covers the first eight weeks. Punting and holding are specialist assignments, so the table focuses on participation and punting results.
| Season | Team | G | Punts | Yards | Gross avg. | Net avg. | LNG | I20 | TB | BLK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Denver | 16 | 89 | 4,068 | 45.7 | 41.3 | 68 | 28 | 6 | 0 |
| 2017 | Denver | 16 | 73 | 3,331 | 45.6 | 40.2 | 60 | 23 | 3 | 2 |
| 2018 | N.Y. Giants | 16 | 71 | 3,226 | 45.4 | 41.8 | 60 | 20 | 4 | 0 |
| 2019 | N.Y. Giants | 16 | 69 | 3,178 | 46.1 | 42.3 | 62 | 29 | 2 | 2 |
| 2020 | N.Y. Giants | 16 | 65 | 2,911 | 44.8 | 38.8 | 71 | 28 | 6 | 1 |
| 2021 | N.Y. Giants | 17 | 74 | 3,283 | 44.4 | 39.5 | 63 | 24 | 6 | 0 |
| 2022 | L.A. Rams | 17 | 71 | 3,434 | 48.4 | 40.8 | 67 | 19 | 4 | 2 |
| 2023 | Denver | 17 | 79 | 3,659 | 46.3 | 42.3 | 68 | 27 | 6 | 0 |
| 2024 | Denver | 17 | 77 | 3,597 | 46.7 | 42.2 | 65 | 33 | 5 | 0 |
| 2025 | Tampa Bay | 17 | 63 | 2,815 | 44.7 | 38.9 | 62 | 29 | 4 | 2 |
| 2026* | Tampa Bay | 8 | 35 | 1,528 | 43.7 | 38.1 | 59 | 10 | 3 | 0 |
| Career | All clubs | 173 | 766 | 35,030 | 45.7 | 40.7 | 71 | 270 | 49 | 9 |
Gross average describes punt distance. Net average accounts for returns and touchbacks; the source note explains the calculation used here. I20 = punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line; TB = touchbacks; BLK = blocked punts; LNG = longest punt.
Statistics and calculation note: Counts and yardage come from the official player summary and career record. *2026 is a partial season. G = games played. Gross average is yards divided by punts. Net average is net yards divided by punts plus blocked punts; net yards subtract return yards and 20 yards per touchback. The season and career averages here are calculated from those exact counts. This reconciles discrepancies in the current summary with historical records, including 2017’s 40.2 net average and 2019’s 42.3. Career gross is 35,030 ÷ 766 = 45.7; career net is 31,581 ÷ 775 = 40.7. Weekly averages retain the official log’s displayed rounding. Career averages use total yards and attempts, while LNG uses the longest punt.
2026 game-by-game punting • through Week 8
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | G | Punts | Yards | Gross avg. | Net avg. | LNG | I20 | TB | BLK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 09/13 | @ Cincinnati | L 27–33 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 09/20 | Cleveland | L 19–23 | 1 | 4 | 186 | 46.5 | 41.5 | 55 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 3 | 09/27 | Minnesota | L 16–23 | 1 | 9 | 426 | 47.3 | 35.6 | 59 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | 10/04 | Green Bay | L 14–17 | 1 | 4 | 160 | 40.0 | 35.2 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | 10/08 | @ Dallas | W 24–16 | 1 | 4 | 163 | 40.8 | 38.2 | 49 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | 10/18 | Pittsburgh | L 19–26 (OT) | 1 | 6 | 245 | 40.8 | 40.8 | 52 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | 10/25 | @ Carolina | W 43–13 | 1 | 2 | 79 | 39.5 | 29.5 | 43 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 8 | 11/01 | Atlanta | W 16–0 | 1 | 6 | 269 | 44.8 | 41.5 | 59 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | Through W8 | Tampa Bay | 3–5 | 8 | 35 | 1,528 | 43.7 | 38.1 | 59 | 10 | 3 | 0 |
Scores show Tampa Bay first; @ means an away game and OT means overtime. Week 1 counts as an appearance with zero punts; dashes mark averages and a longest punt that do not apply. Tables scroll horizontally on small screens.
Sources: official game log, Cincinnati participation split, career record and Pittsburgh overtime recap.
2024 NFL season • January 12, 2025
A Denver playoff appearance, with a passing play
Dixon’s NFL postseason appearance came with Denver at Buffalo, before he joined the Buccaneers. In the Broncos’ 31–7 loss, he punted four times and also completed a 15-yard pass to Marvin Mims Jr. on fourth-and-eight in the second quarter. The fake-punt conversion added a different entry to a specialist’s afternoon. The official playoff gamebook.
NFL postseason punting • actual appearance
| Season | Club / opponent | Result | G | Punts | Yards | Gross avg. | Net avg. | LNG | I20 | TB | BLK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Wild Card | Denver @ Buffalo | L 7–31 | 1 | 4 | 192 | 48.0 | 40.5 | 53 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | One appearance | 0–1 | 1 | 4 | 192 | 48.0 | 40.5 | 53 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
This game belongs to the 2024 season and is separate from regular-season totals. Tampa Bay did not qualify for the 2025 postseason; the 2026 postseason had not begun at this update.
Syracuse Orange • 2011–2015
From walk-on to an NFL draft pick
Dixon joined Syracuse as a walk-on in 2011, redshirted and made his playing debut in 2012. He earned a scholarship after the 2013 season. His 75-yard punt against Clemson in 2013 set the school record at the time. The school biography; Denver’s college summary.
In 2015, he received first-team All-ACC recognition from the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association and second-team honors from the conference’s coaches. He was also a Ray Guy Award semifinalist. Those are distinct honors with their own voting groups and selection stages. Media selections; coaches’ selections; Ray Guy semifinalists.
Syracuse season-by-season punting • 2012–2015
| Season | G | Punts | Yards | Gross avg. | LNG | I20 | TB | BLK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 2 | 3 | 109 | 36.3 | 49 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2013 | 13 | 75 | 3,161 | 42.1 | 75 | 21 | 6 | 0 |
| 2014 | 12 | 75 | 3,182 | 42.4 | 60 | 23 | 4 | 1 |
| 2015 | 12 | 65 | 2,839 | 43.7 | 64 | 28 | 5 | 1 |
| Career | 39 | 218 | 9,291 | 42.6 | 75 | 72 | 17 | 2 |
The playing record begins in 2012; 2011 was his redshirt year. College totals include his 2013 Texas Bowl appearance and remain separate from the NFL figures above.
Sources: Syracuse’s final cumulative statistics for 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. The 2012 final table records two touchbacks; an abbreviated later career table shows zero. The career total here follows the final season records.
His hands had already helped Syracuse win a close game. Against Villanova on August 29, 2014, Dixon threw a one-yard touchdown to Kendall Moore on a fake field goal in a 27–26 double-overtime victory. It is a memorable example of the extra responsibilities that can come with holding. The Syracuse game recap.
Accounting studies • Community service
A life of work beyond the punt
Dixon earned an undergraduate degree in accounting at Syracuse and continued into graduate study at the Whitman School of Management. His current Buccaneers biography confirms that he also completed a master’s degree in accounting. The university’s academic profile; the completed graduate degree.
In 2015, he was a William V. Campbell Trophy semifinalist. Syracuse’s announcement also documented his 2012 Big East All-Academic selection and 2013 and 2014 All-ACC Academic recognition. The scholar-athlete announcement.
Service during his Syracuse years
The school documented Dixon’s visits to the Syracuse VA Medical Center and Elmcrest Children’s Center, along with speaking to young people at the Onondaga County Justice Center. Its 2015 Wuerffel Trophy watch-list announcement placed those activities alongside his academic and football work. The service record.
Two causes on his cleats
For 2025 My Cause My Cleats, Dixon represented the Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired and Uplifting Athletes. The Buccaneers listed both organizations among the causes players selected for that year’s campaign. The team’s cause list.
Follow the ball to its finish
A little more appreciation for No. 9
A punt can give the defense room to work, and a dependable hold is part of a successful scoring operation. Dixon’s spotlight invites the Krewe to watch those moments closely, from the snap through the placement or the coverage. There is a full football story inside a specialist’s few seconds of action.
Sources & statistical notes
Updated November 3, 2026. NFL figures stop after November 1, Week 8. Regular season, postseason and college records are labeled separately; gross and net averages retain distinct columns.
- NFL biography and current role: Buccaneers profile, depth chart and game log.
- Tampa Bay arrival and milestone: 2025 signing and Week 13 award.
- Syracuse: player biography, accounting studies and academic recognition.
- Community: college service and 2025 My Cause My Cleats.