Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver and return specialist Kameron Johnson was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week One for his contributions on the field against the Falcons. He is the first Tampa Bay player to win a Special Teams Player of the Week award since 2023, and the first non-specialist to receive this honor for the Buccaneers since 2015. In Tampa Bay's season-opening win over the Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Johnson spurred a critical go-ahead, second-half touchdown drive with a 54-yard punt return in the third quarter. It marked the Bucs' longest punt return since Bobby Rainey returned one 58 yards on October 11, 2015, vs. Jacksonville. Rainey was the last Tampa Bay returner to collect a Special Teams Player of the Week award. Johnson's return was the longest of Week One – exceeding the second-best return across the league by 31 yards.
In addition to his contributions as a returner, Johnson serves as a gunned on Tampa Bay's punt team, which ranked seventh in the NFL, and third in the NFC, in Week One in net yards per punt (44.0). He was responsible for one of two punts downed inside the 20-yard line by the Buccaneers on Sunday – tied for the second-most among any NFL team in Week One.
Since joining the Bucs as an undrafted free agent out of Barton College in 2024, Johnson has two career punt returns and owns a 32.5 average on those returns. Against the Falcons, Johnson helped shift the momentum to the Bucs and helped punctuate the win on the road against a divisional opponent.
"It just gets the whole offense going just knowing that we do not have to drive that extra 50 yards that he ended up picking up for us and it kind of deflates the defense as well," said Emeka Egbuka. "It makes it easier on us to do our job and move down the field and winning that field position battle is kind of that unspoken thing that does not come up on the stat sheet – that is not really the glamorous ones that are highlighted - but we won the field position battle."
Johnson returned from injury in the final preseason game and made his presence felt in Week One. The smooth route-runner is explosive and quick in-and-out of breaks. Johnson can accelerate on a dime and is adept at working off jet sweeps and end-arounds. He has helped invigorate the Bucs' special teams unit with stellar play on returns.
"We have some dogs on special teams and guys up front blocking their tails off and trusting in the coaching schemes and everything," said Johnson on the improvement of the return game. "It is going to be fun to watch."
