Broncos Lose Punter Riley Dixon to Buccaneers
The Denver Broncos’ special teams unit faced another setback on Tuesday after losing key contributor Tremon Smith the day before. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, free-agent punter Riley Dixon has agreed to a two-year, $6 million deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The full terms of the contract have not been disclosed.
The Broncos made an effort to match Tampa Bay’s offer by submitting their own proposal on Monday morning, but negotiations ultimately “fell short,” according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS.
Dixon, 31, was originally drafted by the Broncos in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft. After a trade to the New York Giants, a brief stint with the Los Angeles Rams, and a return to Denver in 2023 with a two-year, $3.5 million contract, Dixon averaged 41.7 net yards per punt in his second tenure with the team, recording 11 touchbacks and 60 punts downed inside the 20-yard line.
With special teams being a focus this offseason, the Broncos hired a new coordinator, Darren Rizzi, and locked in long snapper Mitch Fraboni early in free agency. Now, the team will need to find a replacement for Dixon, and the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson has suggested that Ryan Stonehouse, a restricted free agent punter from the Tennessee Titans and former Colorado State standout, could be a potential target.
“Keep an eye on former Colorado State star Ryan Stonehouse, a restricted free agent with the Titans, as the Broncos search for a punter,” Tomasson reported on Tuesday. “Stonehouse holds the NFL record for the highest gross punting average in a season at 53.1 yards.”
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