BuccaneersFan.com • Player Spotlight • Tampa Bay No. 19
Official team portrait: Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Wide receiver • Returner • Third NFL season
From Barton Bulldog to Buccaneer
Kameron James Johnson
- Born
- March 17, 2002
- Hometown
- Rocky Mount, North Carolina
- Listed size
- 5 feet 10 inches • 170 pounds
- High school
- Northern Nash • Rocky Mount, North Carolina
- College
- Barton College • Wilson, North Carolina
- Education
- B.S. in Exercise Science • 2024
- NFL entry
- Undrafted free agent • Signed May 10, 2024
- Current status
- Buccaneers active roster • November 3, 2026
Sources: current team profile, 2026 Buccaneers media guide, printed p. 146, Barton’s graduate announcement and the active roster. Current online team measurements are shown.
NFL figures include the November 1 game against Atlanta. See the participation check, 2026 game log, 2025 return feature and official Barton season tables.
Kameron Johnson helped build a college football program that was finding its feet again, then became Barton’s first NFL player. In a September 2024 Buccaneers interview, he explained that choosing the nearby school meant trusting its coaches and giving his family the chance to watch him play. Johnson on the decision that brought him to Barton.
His Tampa Bay story has grown through several assignments: receiving, returning kicks and running downfield on punt coverage. That is part of the appeal for the Krewe. A player’s opportunity can arrive on any snap, and the next chance to change a game may begin with the ball coming down from the sky.
Rocky Mount → Wilson → Tampa Bay
A nearby beginning and a much bigger stage
Northern Nash to Barton A quarterback learns another role.
Johnson played quarterback at Northern Nash High School before developing as a receiver at Barton. His school background.
He did not begin college assuming that the NFL would follow. His focus was the work in front of him; as he developed, his confidence in reaching the next level grew. Staying close to family was part of what made Barton the right place to begin. His account of those early choices.
Four Bulldog seasons Helping a revived program take shape.
Barton’s return to football was delayed by COVID. Its abbreviated first season was played in spring 2021, followed by a separate fall season that year. Johnson was part of that original group. The Buccaneers’ look at his college development.
By his final season in 2023, he had produced 51 receptions for 879 yards and seven touchdowns. He also contributed as a runner and returner. Barton’s final 2023 statistics.
2024–2026 Earning a place, then earning more work.
Tampa Bay signed Johnson on May 10, 2024. That August, Barton celebrated his place on the Buccaneers’ initial roster. The signing record; the school’s roster announcement.
An ankle injury interrupted his rookie year, but he returned from injured reserve in December. He then appeared in all 17 games in 2025. His December 28, 2024 activation; the annual participation record.
October 12, 2025 • San Francisco at Tampa Bay
His first NFL catch came with six points
First reception • First touchdown
34
YARDS TO THE END ZONE
A second-quarter pass from Baker Mayfield.
An unforgettable first entry in the receiving column.
TAMPA BAY 30 • SAN FRANCISCO 19
Johnson entered the game without an NFL reception. His first became a 34-yard touchdown catch from Baker Mayfield in the second quarter. He finished the victory with four catches for a team-leading 64 yards. The Buccaneers’ account of his career firsts.
For a receiver who had already made an impact on special teams, this was another way to help the offense. For fans following his progress from an undrafted rookie, it was a moment worth keeping.
September 7, 2025 • Season opener at Atlanta
One return, a shorter field and a weekly honor
A 54-yard swing in field position
Johnson had one punt-return opportunity in the 2025 opener and took it 54 yards in the third quarter. The Buccaneers used the short field for a drive that ended with a Bucky Irving touchdown catch, helping Tampa Bay win 23–20. The official award announcement.
Special teams means more than returns
He also worked as a gunner on the punt team, contributing to coverage while playing 12 special-teams snaps. The performance earned him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 1 of 2025. His return helped set up a score; it was not itself a return touchdown. How Johnson contributed in Atlanta.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers • 2024–2026
The NFL record through Week 8 of 2026
Cutoff: November 1, 2026, after Week 8. Johnson has 30 regular-season appearances: five in 2024, 17 in 2025 and eight in 2026. The Week 8 gamebook records one offensive snap and 12 special-teams snaps, confirming his eighth appearance even though the online career feeds still showed seven when checked. Sources: the completed 2024–2025 record, Week 8 gamebook, p. 17, and the updated career participation record.
Receiving, appearances and starts
| Season | G | GS | REC | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 2025 | 17 | 0 | 4 | 64 | 16.0 | 34 | 1 |
| 2026 (Wk 1–8) | 8 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 3 | 0 |
| NFL career | 30 | 0 | 5 | 67 | 13.4 | 34 | 1 |
G = games played; GS = starts; AVG = yards per reception, carry or return; LNG = longest gain; TD = touchdowns. A dash denotes an inapplicable average or long because there were no attempts or returns. Career averages use total yards divided by total opportunities; longest gains are maxima.
REC = receptions. Career receiving average: 67 yards ÷ 5 catches = 13.4. The 2026 row includes eight appearances; a game played does not require a reception.
Sources: Buccaneers career tables, NFL statistics and 2026 Buccaneers media guide, printed p. 148; participation supplemented by the eight official gamebooks below.
Rushing
| Season | ATT | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 11 | 0 |
| 2025 | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 11 | 0 |
| 2026 (Wk 1–8) | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| NFL career | 4 | 24 | 6.0 | 11 | 0 |
ATT = rushing attempts. The four career carries produced 24 yards; he had no rushing attempts in the first eight games of 2026.
Sources: Buccaneers career tables, NFL statistics and 2026 Buccaneers media guide, printed p. 148 and the 2026 gamebooks.
Kickoff returns
| Season | RET | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 2025 | 27 | 685 | 25.4 | 44 | 0 |
| 2026 (Wk 1–8) | 14 | 389 | 27.8 | 48 | 0 |
| NFL career | 41 | 1,074 | 26.2 | 48 | 0 |
RET = kickoff returns. Johnson returned 14 kickoffs for 389 yards in the first eight games of 2026, with a long of 48. Kickoff-return yardage is separate from receiving, rushing and punt returns.
Sources: Buccaneers career tables, NFL statistics and 2026 Buccaneers media guide, printed p. 148 and the 2026 gamebooks.
Punt returns
| Season | RET | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 11 | 0 |
| 2025 | 26 | 291 | 11.2 | 54 | 0 |
| 2026 (Wk 1–8) | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| NFL career | 27 | 302 | 11.2 | 54 | 0 |
RET = punt returns. Fair catches are not counted as returns. No punt return is credited to Johnson through Week 8 of 2026, so that row has zero returns and dashes for AVG and LNG.
Sources: Buccaneers career tables, NFL statistics and 2026 Buccaneers media guide, printed p. 148 and the 2026 gamebooks.
Postseason: no individual playoff appearance is recorded through this cutoff. He was inactive for the January 12, 2025 Wild Card game, and Tampa Bay did not qualify for the playoffs following the 2025 season. Sources: the official Wild Card inactive list and the team’s 2025 season review.
September 13–November 1, 2026 • Eight appearances
This season, game by game
Johnson’s work extends beyond catches and returns. The snap counts below show his participation in all eight completed games, including afternoons when the ball did not come his way.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | REC | Rec YDS | KR | KR YDS | OFF | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2026-09-13 | @ CIN | L 27–33 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 137 | 5 | 14 |
| 2 | 2026-09-20 | vs. CLE | L 19–23 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 77 | 0 | 16 |
| 3 | 2026-09-27 | vs. MIN | L 16–23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19 |
| 4 | 2026-10-04 | vs. GB | L 14–17 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 10 |
| 5 | 2026-10-08 | @ DAL | W 24–16 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 61 | 2 | 13 |
| 6 | 2026-10-18 | vs. PIT | L 19–26 (OT) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 64 | 0 | 19 |
| 7 | 2026-10-25 | @ CAR | W 43–13 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 50 | 2 | 13 |
| 8 | 2026-11-01 | vs. ATL | W 16–0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 |
| Total | 8 games | — | — | 1 | 3 | 14 | 389 | 16 | 116 |
REC/Rec YDS = receptions/receiving yards; KR/KR YDS = kickoff returns/return yards; OFF/ST = offensive/special-teams snaps. All rows represent actual appearances. He had no rushing attempts or punt returns in these eight games. vs. = home; @ = away; OT = overtime. Results are from Tampa Bay’s perspective.
Opponents: CIN = Cincinnati; CLE = Cleveland; MIN = Minnesota; GB = Green Bay; DAL = Dallas; PIT = Pittsburgh; CAR = Carolina; ATL = Atlanta. The eight-game totals are already included in the 2026 season rows above.
Official gamebooks, linked to each snap-count page: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8.
Barton College • Wilson, North Carolina
Four seasons of receiving, running and returns
Barton records four statistical seasons: 2020 (played in spring 2021), fall 2021, 2022 and 2023. Johnson appeared in 37 games. The spring and fall 2021 schedules are separate seasons. Sources: Barton’s explanation of the restart, the annual records below and the Buccaneers college-career summary, printed p. 147.
Barton receiving and participation
| Season | G | REC | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 (spring 2021) | 4 | 10 | 80 | 8.0 | 30 | 0 |
| 2021 (fall) | 11 | 46 | 791 | 17.2 | 80 | 7 |
| 2022 | 11 | 44 | 566 | 12.9 | 68 | 5 |
| 2023 | 11 | 51 | 879 | 17.2 | 75 | 7 |
| Barton career | 37 | 151 | 2,316 | 15.3 | 80 | 19 |
G = actual appearances. Receiving TD total 19: 0 + 7 + 5 + 7 across the four original season tables. His two kickoff-return touchdowns are additional and appear in the return table. Individual starts are not included because the annual records do not establish them.
Original Barton season records: 2020 (spring 2021), fall 2021, 2022, 2023.
Barton rushing
| Season | ATT | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 (spring 2021) | 4 | 29 | 7.3 | 23 | 0 |
| 2021 (fall) | 4 | 16 | 4.0 | 9 | 0 |
| 2022 | 3 | -3 | -1.0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | 11 | 83 | 7.5 | 21 | 0 |
| Barton career | 22 | 125 | 5.7 | 23 | 0 |
Johnson’s college rushing totals were 22 attempts for 125 yards. His former-quarterback skills also appeared in the passing record: two completions on four attempts, 65 yards and two touchdown passes. Passing yardage and passing TD are separate from the receiving, rushing and return categories.
Original Barton season records: 2020 (spring 2021), fall 2021, 2022, 2023.
Barton kickoff returns
| Season | RET | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 (spring 2021) | 13 | 273 | 21.0 | 46 | 0 |
| 2021 (fall) | 8 | 213 | 26.6 | 90 | 1 |
| 2022 | 4 | 142 | 35.5 | 82 | 1 |
| 2023 | 16 | 310 | 19.4 | 31 | 0 |
| Barton career | 41 | 938 | 22.9 | 90 | 2 |
The two kickoff-return touchdowns came in fall 2021 and 2022. His career-long return was 90 yards. Return yards are kept separate from yards gained on offense.
Original Barton season records: 2020 (spring 2021), fall 2021, 2022, 2023.
Barton punt returns
| Season | RET | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 (spring 2021) | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 2021 (fall) | 2 | -4 | -2.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 4 | 60 | 15.0 | 29 | 0 |
| 2023 | 12 | 133 | 11.1 | 33 | 0 |
| Barton career | 18 | 189 | 10.5 | 33 | 0 |
He recorded no punt returns in spring 2021. In fall 2021, his two returns totaled −4 yards, with a recorded long of zero yards; that zero is a valid result. The career average is 189 ÷ 18 = 10.5.
Original Barton season records: 2020 (spring 2021), fall 2021, 2022, 2023.
College recognition: second-team All-South Atlantic Conference Piedmont Division in 2022 and All-South Atlantic Conference honors in 2023. Sources: the 2022 announcement and the 2023 announcement. No postseason game appears in his published 37-game Barton record.
Beyond the playing statistics
A degree, academic recognition and an interest in coaching
The student behind the jersey
Barton named Kameron James Johnson to its spring 2023 Dean’s List. The college later listed him among its 2024 graduates with a B.S. in Exercise Science. The Dean’s List announcement; the graduate record.
Those achievements belong in the college chapter alongside the catches and return yards. They reflect another part of the work he completed while preparing for a professional opportunity.
Helping younger players learn
An August 2024 Our State feature reported that Johnson had volunteered as a football coach at Fike High School in Wilson during his time at Barton. He also spoke of an interest in coaching after his playing career. Tim Crothers’s original report.
That account offers a glimpse of how he was already sharing the game with younger players. It describes his college-era volunteering and his ambitions at the time.
Sources & statistical notes
The records behind the spotlight
- Biography and milestones: official Buccaneers reporting, player profile and media guide; Barton’s roster announcement; the 2025 award and first-reception reports linked above.
- NFL statistics: Buccaneers career tables, NFL statistics and 2026 Buccaneers media guide, printed p. 148. All eight 2026 gamebooks are linked above; actual game participation takes precedence over a lagging season-summary count.
- College statistics: Barton’s four official annual records, linked beneath each table, with career totals reconciled to the Buccaneers media guide. The season-by-season receiving touchdown sum is 19.
- Education: Barton College’s official spring 2023 Dean’s List and 2024 graduate announcement.
- College-era coaching: Tim Crothers, Our State, August 26, 2024. This is a dated account of volunteering and future interests.
- Portrait: the current image supplied on Johnson’s official Tampa Bay Buccaneers profile.
Updated November 3, 2026. NFL regular-season statistics stop after November 1, 2026, Week 8. Preseason figures are excluded. College season labels follow Barton’s records, with the spring 2021 schedule identified explicitly. No current school or league ranking is implied.