Kameron Johnson, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' new primary return man, only got one opportunity to run back a kick in Sunday's season-opening win in Atlanta, but he made the most of it. Johnson's 54-yard punt return in the third quarter created a short field for a Buccaneers drive that ended in a touchdown catch by Bucky Irving, and those points proved critical in the tight 23-20 decision. For his efforts, Johnson was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week One.
Johnson didn't just excel in the return game, however. He played 12 total snaps on special teams and served as one of the two gunners on the Buccaneers' punt squad. The coverage team helped new Tampa Bay punter Riley Dixon compile an excellent net punting average of 44.0 on four kicks.
Johnson's 54-yard punt return was the longest by a Buccaneer since Bobby Rainey notched a 58-yarder against Jacksonville in Week Five of the 2015 season, nearly a decade ago. Coincidentally, Johnson is the first non-kicker to win a Special Teams Player of the Week award for the Buccaneers since Rainey after that Jaguars contest. Overall, he is the first Bucs winner of the award since punter Jake Camarda in Week Two of the 2023 campaign.
Johnson's return was the longest on either a punt or a kickoff by any player in the NFC in Week One. He also was one of two deep men on kickoffs for Tampa Bay against the Falcons but all three returns by that unit went to running back Sean Tucker.
