The Tampa Bay Buccaneers learned Tez Johnson has a knack for getting in the end zone during his rookie season, when he had 28 receptions for 332 yards and 5 touchdowns.
They may have learned this offseason that Johnson is capable of much more, with ESPN singling him out on its list of the NFL’s “Biggest Surprises” just a little over 1 month from when the Buccaneers report to training camp on July 28.
“Maybe this won’t shock a lot of people, considering Johnson was pressed into action extensively last year in his rookie season and had five touchdowns, but in arguably the most competitive room on the team, Johnson stood out,” ESPN’s Jenna Laine wrote on June 22. “He had two touchdown catches from Jake Browning in their final practice and caught several others.”
The battle for the wide receiver spots — and for targets — will be fierce for the Buccaneers in 2026 after the exit of record-setting wide receiver Mike Evans in free agency left a power vacuum at the position.
Tez Johnson Made NFL History as Rookie
Johnson, 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds, was a 7th-round pick (No. 235 overall) by the Buccaneers in the 2025 NFL draft, who became the lightest player to take the field in NFL history.
Because of his size – and being a 7th-round pick — Johnson was a long shot to make Tampa Bay’s roster in a year the Bucs spent their 1st round pick (No. 19 overall) on wide receiver Emeka Egbuka
Instead, Johnson, the younger brother of Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, found himself playing a critical role at times, with injuries to Evans and Chris Godwin sidelining them for large chunks of the season. Starting in the preseason, Johnson also became a fan favorite for his patented backflips after scoring touchdowns.
Tez Johnson’s Personal Life Makes Headlines
Johnson found himself in the news for his personal life in February, when his ex-fiancée, Laila Thompson-Wainer, went public with the reasons behind their broken engagement.
Thompson-Wainer posted a 5-minute TikTok video where she explained how she allegedly found out Johnson cheated on her twice on the day of their engagement in February 2025, sharing a series of explicit, sexual messages she said Johnson sent to his ex-girlfriend the morning before they got engaged and then again that evening.
“Tez Johnson has shown us the difference between a recreational cheater and a REAL cheater,” Barstool Sports’ Jack Mac said on Threads.
Johnson shared all the details of his engagement on his Instagram account at the time — a trip to a reptile zoo, a romantic proposal, along with a beach photoshoot and sushi dinner.
“For some reason,” Thompson-Wainer said on her TikTok. “You cheat before and after you propose, the morning of and the night — that’s just something that I will never understand. I’ve given up on trying to understand how someone can be that evil. I think you just have to be a sociopath. And that’s just it at the end of the day.”
From TMZ: “NFL player Tez Johnson’s ex-fiancée just put him on blast times a billion — claiming the Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver cheated on her with sexual texts to a former partner before AND after he proposed last year.”
Undersized Bucs WR Called NFL’s ‘Biggest Surprise’ Ahead of Training Camp