Is Tez Johnson The New Jalen McMillan?
October 30th, 2026
Makes plays.
Sometimes, reality sucks.
Joe did not enjoy typing the article yesterday on Jalen McMillan. But unfortunately, McMillan has become the offensive version of Benjamin Morrison.
McMillan is a wonderfully gifted receiver. Great guy. He just has terrible luck. He’s missed over half the games the Bucs have played since he was drafted in 2024.
This week, after Joe asked KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles for an update on McMillan, Bowles said he has no idea when McMillan will be back in uniform with a sprained knee.
Sadly, McMillan is one of these guys who is star-crossed. He can’t stay healthy. And Joe doesn’t care if a guy is Jim Brown, Jerry Rice or Derrick Henry, if you can’t get on the field, you cannot help your team win.
So with McMillan out until who knows when, has Tez Johnson stepped up to fill McMillan’s role?
Joe doesn’t know if embattled Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson would go there. But it does seem Tez is making an impact.
“Love Tez [and] the way he’s approached stuff really from training camp when he started getting a lot of opportunities with the injuries we had,” Robinson said at One Buc Palace yesterday. “He’s done a great job. We didn’t get him in the mix much against [Cincinnati], started getting him in the mix against Cleveland, had a couple of opportunities down the field that we just were really close on hitting them – hit the one big play that kind of got us going a little bit in the third quarter.
“He’s done a great job from a mental standpoint. It’s a high volume every week, and he’s done a great job handling it. Obviously, he brings an explosive element to that room and to the whole offense when he’s out there.
“You feel his speed on every single snap. Whether it’s a run or a pass, he’s a threat. So, he’s done a great job playing without the football, as well.”
Tez made a strong play on a Baker Mayfield scramble to score a touchdown late in the first half in the seal-clubbing of the Stinking Panthers on Sunday, which pretty much sealed the win.
It always seems like Tez finds a way to make an impact. A positive impact.
“There’s some times last week where, shoot, he’s away from the football, he’s running, he’s trying to get an extra block to try to spring the runners,” Robinson noted. “So, Tez has done an awesome job. We’ve just got to keep elevating his role as much as we can, knowing that we do have some guys down.”
Tez is no Pro Bowl player. But as Bill Parcells famously said, your best ability is your availability. Tez is far more available than McMillan.
Hey, if/when McMillan returns, that’s a bonus. He’s a player. But in the meantime, Joe thinks the Bucs will be OK with Tez.
October 30th, 2026 at 9:27 am
And people say get rid of Licht. All the man does is find talent. The cupboard is stocked with ingredients for the chef.
October 30th, 2026 at 9:30 am
Tez is The Tez — we don’t want another JM — dwells on IR…..the best ABILITY is AVAIL-ABILITY
October 30th, 2026 at 9:33 am
I like J-Mac – BUT – you know what I’m going to say…
The one about the club and the tub.
It’s sad but how many potentially great careers have been cut short in the NFL?
Just another brick in the wall.
October 30th, 2026 at 9:44 am
Yes definately on J Mac was hoping to hear he was returning soon.
Hold off on th injury thing. I mean the broken neck. Heck that ball should have never been thrown and J Mac should have never tried to catch it, but tough guy he is he did. So let’s not hold that against him. Hopefully when he returns from the knee he will be a steady guy on the field. I know the team misses him, especially with ME gone. I still don’t understand the problem with our pass game. It is just off from Baker, Robinson and the teceivers. Heck Godwin dropped two esay passes two weeks in a row. The pass game is just off. I wish I knew why, does anybody
October 30th, 2026 at 9:55 am
NcMillan can’t stay healthy while Tez who is one of the smallest players in the NFL, finds openings to avoid potential injuries and knows when to hit the ground. He’s been small his whole life.
October 30th, 2026 at 10:03 am
LOL That sounds like something Parcells would say. 🙂
October 30th, 2026 at 10:06 am
Why the hatred for the guy? He is hurt. It’s not fake. Just like the broken neck was real.
October 30th, 2026 at 10:32 am
Tez has been the best receiver on the roster this season! Prove me wrong.
October 30th, 2026 at 10:34 am
Up to this point, it has mostly been horrible luck for J-Mac. Morrison is another story… He is Soft and made of Glass. Should have NEVER been drafted where he was. It was a HUGE JOKE. Again, J-Mac was a totally different story… He was definitely worth taking a swing on late in the 3rd-Round, having 1st-Round talent. He was the BEST WR on that LOADED Washington team. And, Odunze went 9th-Overall, and Polk (after taking advantage of J-Mac being OUT and not at 💯 when he did play) was selected with the 37th-Pick in the draft.
October 30th, 2026 at 10:41 am
@ Ra’Shad – Go ahead then, keep on drinking that kool-aid, and buying the propaganda. Cause, that’s ALL it is.
October 30th, 2026 at 10:49 am
Tez seems to separate quickly, so why doesn’t our OC scheme up a few 6-8 yard quick-hitting routes?
Hey if our opponents can hit short-medium passes on us all day long, why can’t the Bucs use that formula and slowly matriculate down the field 8 yards a pop?
Just thinking aloud…
October 30th, 2026 at 10:54 am
Tez Johnson has a 7.58% target share through seven games of the 2026 NFL season. While his overall volume remains low, his efficiency numbers are highly volatile due to a massive average depth of target (ADoT) of 20.1 yards.
2026 Season Stats (Through 7 Games)
Metric 2026 Stat Line
Targets 15
Receptions 9
Receiving Yards 178
Yards Per Reception 19.8
Receiving Touchdowns 1
Yards After Catch (YAC) 52
October 30th, 2026 at 10:55 am
Usage & Context
• Deep Threat Profile: Despite his background as an explosive short-area separator, the Buccaneers have frequently deployed him on vertical routes, leading to huge splash plays like a 64-yard reception against Dallas and a 49-yard catch against Cleveland.
• Recent Surge: In his most recent outing against the Carolina Panthers, Johnson saw an elevated role due to an injury to fellow receiver Emeka Egbuka. He pulled in both of his targets for 33 yards and a 14-yard second-quarter touchdown, capturing an 18% target share for that specific game.
• Quarterback Synergy: When targeted by Baker Mayfield, Johnson has generated a highly efficient 123.8 passer rating.
October 30th, 2026 at 10:56 am
I used the interwebz to answer some of my questions about Tez as posted above.
Isn’t the interwebz special? (In a Dana Carvey voice).
October 30th, 2026 at 11:07 am
Tez. Egbuka. Chris Godwin! Otten. Irving, Gainwell and Tucker. JMac healing up.
The best of the bunch. Ted Hurst is the best of this bunch. Our OLine is ready for some pass protection this week. Any of these playmakers can go off at any moment.
When we do go off it’s gonna be a sight to behold. And Tez has been small his whole life!!
October 30th, 2026 at 11:15 am
how about we keep Tez Johnson – trade Jalen McMillan and Baker for Bo Nix – reuniting Tez and Bo would be worth it – maybe we could throw Bowles in the deal and trade for Sean Payton too
October 30th, 2026 at 11:21 am
I like Tez to an extent, but I think he gets overvalued and if J-Mac were healthy he wouldn’t have the snap share he’s had, sort of like last year w/Mike being out.
I’ve also seen Tez get muscled out of bounds by press coverage before he can get out of his route, so again-happy the guy can contribute, but he’s small, more quick than he is outright fast and when he takes contact I get nervous as hell about the ball security.
As long as we have him he’ll see the field, but I don’t see him blowing up in terms of production. Contributor yes, but again 2 of his biggest catches came while the concept broke down. So good heads up play and bailouts, but I wouldn’t categorize him as a weapon, no NFL player is scared of locking horns with Mr. Johnson
October 30th, 2026 at 11:36 am
Let’s kick the tires on Brian Thomas Jr at least he gives us a threat
October 30th, 2026 at 11:36 am
All in on the kudos for Tez. But to compare McMillan to B Morrison is jut wrong. Most of his missed games were due to a (literally) broken neck which would have ended the career of many. His comeback was a true testament to his courage.
Try to show a little class, Joe.
October 30th, 2026 at 12:04 pm
Emeka has 28 receptions on 49 targets, a 57.1% catch rate. Tez has been much more efficient. He is averaging 19.8 yards per catch, while Egbuka is at 8.6 yards per catch. This week, I’m actually replacing CG with Tez on my fantasy team
October 30th, 2026 at 12:15 pm
You can go back since he was a rookie and I stated his body won’t hold up and it hasm’t. I like him, the coaches like him, QB likes him but sometimes it just doesn’t work out. Maybe the Bucs should move on if he can’t stay on the field.
As far as Tez, talk about a guy who takes advantage of his size and quickness. You can’t hurt him if you can’t hit him. I believe that is the difference between Tez and McMillen. And all the haters on EE, give it a rest, still have half a season for him to turn it around.
October 30th, 2026 at 12:56 pm
smurf is the best wr we have and he’s being under utilized like Mike Evans was
October 30th, 2026 at 1:08 pm
Conte Piscatelli Says:
October 30th, 2026 at 10:32 am
Tez has been the best receiver on the roster this season! Prove me wrong.
BINGO!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 30th, 2026 at 1:40 pm
How about the Bucs find a way to get Shep back , like now!
October 30th, 2026 at 1:47 pm
Yes our ROH GM has a great eye for Olineman and WRs. Even finding them late. Justin Watson remember him he’s doing just fine in KC. Not to mention 1st ballot HOF Mike Evans , pro bowler Chris Godwin , EE , j-Mac , tez , Palmer , hurst the list goes on. So called fans that want licht gone are just haters which mean they are lichts biggest fans. If you don’t have any haters or trolls then you’re not doing it right. Thanks for showing up guys
October 30th, 2026 at 1:52 pm
Tez is not Jalen McMillan but he is the new Scotty Miller
October 30th, 2026 at 2:01 pm
Tez is indeed no pro bowler. He has a ton of flaws, small, incorrect routes every other play, etc, but he’s the best we got.
Never thought I’d see an NFL team with less skill position talent than a few dozen college teams.
October 30th, 2026 at 2:03 pm
Melvin Junior… propaganda?
You know we watch these players on the field every week right? And if you watch other teams games you see their players?
Most of them have multiple years of stats to go off of. Some players are put in better positions to perform well than others … that’s to do with coaching, not the GM.
Licht isn’t hiding what he is trying to sell. Not like anyone is fooled by offseason reports of Chris Braswell anymore.
October 30th, 2026 at 2:08 pm
Tez is the kind of guy you can’t help but root for. He’s probably the smallest guy on the field but may have the biggest heart. He is extra special when Mayfield scrambles as he seems to just about always get open on the scramble drill.
October 30th, 2026 at 2:12 pm
Oregon’s former 110lb WR4 is our WR1.
A rookie from division 2 is our only outside threat.
We tried to take Ohio State’s depth slot and make him a 1.
Anyone applauding Licht for this is in a cult.
October 30th, 2026 at 4:31 pm
This whole conversation is about passing the ball. Zach Robinson is not able to call even a fair passing play let alone a good one. I’m happy for Tez and have always liked him. The reason he is getting compliments from the ” too small for the NFL” crowd is because he has earned Bakers trust when the called pass play breaks down. That is the majority of our called pass plays. Tez is good at getting loose and being in a good spot to throw to when Baker is running for his life. I’m glad Tez and Hurst are playing well enough so McMillan does not have to come back too soon. We should be glad to have him in our receiver room. I remember Joe and the crew throwing rocks at a guy by the name of Robert Hainsey. How is he doing these day? Do we miss him yet? One of the big reasons perhaps the biggest reason we have this many losses is because of failed pass plays. Square peg, round hole. Some are talking trading talent for draft pics. Looks like Zach is here for a while so if JL does decide to trade for draft pics trading Godwin and Egbuka would be smart. It would be good for them to be on a team that has a good pass game. Their talent is being wasted here.
October 30th, 2026 at 5:08 pm
Thanks Joe for featuring Tez Johnson. I think Tez and CG 14 are the only two receivers who play like they want to win. Hopefully Hurst will emerge as a top receiver soon.
October 30th, 2026 at 5:22 pm
ADOT cannot be higher than yards per reception. To get the aDOT, you subtract the YAC from the total receiving yards and then divide by the number of receptions. His aDOT would be a little over 8 yards.
October 30th, 2026 at 7:30 pm
Tez is very shifty and speedy. It’s just a matter of time before he starts breaking big plays !!
Go Bucs !!
October 30th, 2026 at 9:44 pm
If Tez could lose some weight, he’d be even shiftier, speedier, and harder to cover. Hope the crack training staff is working with him on that.
October 30th, 2026 at 10:54 pm
Robinson sucks and doesn’t know how to utilize whatever talent he has. How much you wanna bet Coen would’ve did wonders with Jalonn Daniel’s and Tez by now let alone how much better Mayfield would be???