Buccaneers News
Tampa Bay rookie wide receiver Tez Johnson caught just one pass on three targets Sunday, but the catch mattered. The 23-year-old seventh-round pick hauled in a 45-yard touchdown on a deep shot from Baker Mayfield in the third quarter of the Buccaneers’ 30-19 win over San Francisco, his first touchdown of his NFL career.
What made Johnson’s performance notable was not the single reception but everything surrounding it. Playing a season-high 72 percent of offensive snaps, Johnson demonstrated the speed and route adjustment that made him productive at Oregon. Mayfield’s decision to trust him on a critical play revealed confidence in the rookie’s ability to separate downfield.
The opportunity came because of cascading injuries that have decimated Tampa Bay’s receiving corps. Mike Evans has missed the last three games with a hamstring suffered in Week 3. Chris Godwin, dealing with a fibula injury described as “week-to-week,” played in only two games this season. Then, during Sunday’s game against the 49ers, rookie sensation Emeka Egbuka left with a hamstring injury that figures to sideline him for the coming week.
With the Buccaneers’ three top receivers sidelined or injured, Johnson stepped into meaningful snaps for the first time. His trajectory over the last two weeks tells a story of emerging opportunity. In Week 5 against Seattle, Johnson caught all four of his targets for 59 yards. His performance in those two weeks, combined, shows five receptions on seven targets for 104 yards and one touchdown—production that suggests he can fill a role in Tampa’s pass-heavy attack.
Johnson’s speed, which he demonstrated on the deep ball touchdown, could prove particularly valuable in the coming week. The Buccaneers face the Detroit Lions on Monday night in a matchup that figures to be high-scoring and wide-open. The Lions, despite their 4-2 record, enter the game with defensive back depth issues. Multiple corners and a safety are out or unavailable, leaving Detroit’s secondary thinner than ideal against an offense that may again be operating without Evans, Egbuka, and Godwin.
Head Coach Todd Bowles said Thursday that he hopes Evans can return to practice, though the quarterback’s status remained uncertain heading into the weekend. Bowles also indicated that Godwin and Egbuka were unlikely to play. That means Johnson, along with veterans Sterling Shepard and second-year receiver Kameron Johnson, could see significant snaps in a game demanding offensive firepower.
The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Johnson’s path to the field earlier in the season was blocked by the loaded receiver room. Through the first four weeks, he caught just one pass on three targets for eight yards. The Week 5 game against Seattle represented the first real crack in that armor, and Week 6’s opportunity made his potential clear. Whether Johnson can sustain production in a prominent role remains a question, but Monday night against a wounded Lions defense offers a chance to provide answers.
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