Tez Johnson Gets Private Playbook Lessons
November 11th, 2025
Rookie receiver Tez Johnson.
Early this season, head coach Todd Bowles referenced rookie receiver Tez Johnson having a big learning curve in the Bucs offense.
The contrast with football genius and fellow rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka was stark.
There’s still a big gap between those two when it comes to football IQ and knowledge, but it seems Johnson is getting extra help.
On the Buccaneers Radio Network yesterday, Johnson and 10-year veteran receiver Sterling Shepard sat down for a lively chat that turned into a lot friendly arguing. It was there that Shepard revealed Johnson goes for regular private lessons with the Bucs’ receivers coach to help him understand what just happened in the daily Bucs receivers meeting.
Johnson seemed a little hurt Shepard was needling him publicly for that.
Shepard made sure Johnson knew the extra work is respected.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love that you go do those things because it helps us play faster on Sundays; it helps you be the player that you are,” Shepard told Johnson.
Johnson replied that while he might do something stupid before plays, he knows how to get lined up on gamedays.
Johnson added that he’s typically quiet in meetings because he doesn’t want to get razzed for asking a dumb question. He said he prefers to let Shepard and Chris Godwin ask questions and take notes.
November 11th, 2025 at 12:43 pm
Glad he’s putting in the requisite extra effort. I like Tez.
November 11th, 2025 at 12:43 pm
People have different learning styles, so it’s good that Tez works with B-Mac outside the meeting. Sounds like Shep needs to back off a little. Evans doesn’t ask questions in meetings?
November 11th, 2025 at 12:49 pm
Wouldn’t mind seeing $45+ million in injured salary fostering him on the sideline during games too
November 11th, 2025 at 12:53 pm
More reps for Tucker and Tez….less for RW & Shep….
Tez will be getting the last laugh when its all said and done…
GO BUCS!!!!
November 11th, 2025 at 12:56 pm
I wish Tez would ask those questions and not be afraid to. Never anything wrong with asking for help!!
November 11th, 2025 at 12:56 pm
Great job Tez! Do whatever it takes and don’t take your foot off the pedal.
November 11th, 2025 at 12:59 pm
I wonder if Tez is a “Deliberate Learner.” Lol.
November 11th, 2025 at 1:09 pm
What I don’t get is every game we see players in the wrong spots some running into each other and sometime two WR in the same spot. I don’t get how Bowles and this coaching staff have been coaching the Bucs for so long and this crap keeps happing. I just think its time for a proven winning head coach at the helm. Yes he wins division but our division has sucked for years now. I blame Bowles for the D loss against the Rams and the Commanders
November 11th, 2025 at 1:22 pm
Can’t complain about 7th round rookie doing what he’s doing ,,, this wasn’t supposed to be a year where 2 rookies are leading the way
November 11th, 2025 at 1:29 pm
I just think its time for a proven winning head coach at the helm.
lol…i thought the FunnyBone opens at 7pm lol
yeah, there’s tens of dozens of “proven NFL “winning” coaches that are just walking around International Mall begging to be hired…
whos a “PROVEN” winner?…Matt Lafleur?…Dan Campbell?…Kyle Shanahan?…Vrable?
have they won there division 4 straight times?……have they won an SB as HC?..
im disappointed in the loss too only the Chiefs, Eagles, Steelers, Broncos, Raiders and Ravens have “PROVEN” HCs…aka SB WINNING HCs
GO BUCS!!!!!
November 11th, 2025 at 1:55 pm
If at the beginning of this season, if we knew that three of our top four WRs had serious injuries, along with our #1 RB and RG and both Walker & Kancey would be lost for the season, what would be your predictions for the BUCS win-loss record?
The team clearly has some serious issues, but they’re 6 – 3. I’m not going to pass judgement on them when we really don’t know how the rest of the season is going to play out. As bad as that showing was against the Patriots, our running game came alive again, and they did it against one of the best running defenses in the league.
November 11th, 2025 at 1:55 pm
I once heard someone say, there’s no such thing as dumb questions. Just dumb people. Love you Tez!
November 11th, 2025 at 1:55 pm
Did Tez come from one of those schools where the quarterback just claps the plays?
November 11th, 2025 at 1:56 pm
I used to get private lessons on the weekend from my spanish teacher during junior and senior year , she showed me everything. I failed spanish 3 years in a row intentiomally, but learned a lot.
November 11th, 2025 at 2:01 pm
And McVay
November 11th, 2025 at 2:16 pm
Richard Sherman does not like this.
November 11th, 2025 at 2:26 pm
Yes Tez ask the question. The vets have love for Tez u see that during interaction when he thought they were talking about him yelling MVP. Watch the receivers on the bench 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
November 11th, 2025 at 2:28 pm
oscar
you are correct!!!!
add the Rams to that list
GO BUCS!!!!
November 11th, 2025 at 2:29 pm
He may have an adhd issue. In the huddle, each player has to key on their position que. only baker needs to know all of it. ADHD folks hear everything, and have a hard time discriminating specific info. It’s not an intelligence issue, but an auditory discrimination issue. The staff should have a sideline visual que for him once the huddle breaks to confirm the play for him. Anything that provides a redundancy that confirms he gets the right play in his head.
November 11th, 2025 at 2:36 pm
Ask the question and regurgitate the answer to ensure you heard it right.
Proud of Tez for putting in the extra work.
We are the walking wounded. Hope we can keep on the positive side of W/L until we “hopefully” get some guys back (LG, Bucky, Jalen, Godwin, Evans). The D was the mash unit last year, and now it’s the O. We have a chance in the playoffs if we can just get healthier.
November 11th, 2025 at 2:52 pm
One of the funniest most well done interviews I’ve seen all season.
November 11th, 2025 at 2:56 pm
“Sounds like Shep needs to back off a little. Evans doesn’t ask questions in meetings?”
He’s fine . They were razzing on each other for 15 minutes straight all in good fun (Tez giving as good as he got ) and all a set up by BRN and apparently Baker behind the scenes.
November 11th, 2025 at 3:05 pm
WILL THE BUCS SERIOUSLY ENTERTAIN CHANGING OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR NEXT YEAR
November 11th, 2025 at 3:16 pm
One thing’s for sure. Unlike the last two, Grizz is not going to be a head coach somewhere next season. So we have that going for us.
November 11th, 2025 at 3:19 pm
LUVMYBUCS, couldn’t agree more. 3 wins against teams with 7 total wins. 2 of them barely..
Another unprepared game loss after a bye which has happened before. Tired of seeing defensive lineman chasing wr’s and rb’s . A new hc will bring in a dc to coach players and not take 2 years to learn the system.
November 11th, 2025 at 3:27 pm
Head down young man and keep grinding! You may need to work a little harder to understand the mental side of NFL ball but the talent is off the charts and you have a great attitude.
Happy to see Tez getting his opportunities even tho it means we have injuries in the room.
Going to be up to Tez, Grizz, and Baker whether he becomes a bonafide star or not 🤞🏼⭐
November 11th, 2025 at 4:01 pm
If you need help, you need help. Teammates should not be getting on him about that. They should be respecting the fact that he wants to learn and get better. That only helps the team. And he has definitely been improving throughout the year.
November 11th, 2025 at 4:05 pm
When you don’t understans something, the only way you are gonna know is to ask questions and study it. Nothing shameful about that. Keep getting etter Tez. You are on your way.