Tristan Wirfs' status for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' opening games remains uncertain. However head coach Todd Bowles has avoided passing blame, and instead is choosing to remain optimistic as the team works through the aftermath of the left tackle’s recent knee surgery.
Wirfs, who recently underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, is likely going to miss a few weeks to start the NFL season. However Bowles made a statement that could give some optimism to the fans regarding an early return.
Bowles told Joe Bucs Fan, “Obviously, there have been talks since the season ended and for it to heal,” Bowles said. “And [the medical staff and Wirfs] each other decided to get the surgery done. Sometimes when you let things heal, they don’t heal the right way. That’s just part of it.”
Initially the team tried to heal the injury naturally through rest, but unfortunately the team did not see enough progress and decided that surgery would be necessary. The surgery comes after initial statements from Bowles that said Wirfs would be a full participant in training camp. However, now because of this injury, Wirfs will not be participating in any training camp drills. Fortunately for the team, Wirfs is a proven veteran who will likely be able to pick things up quickly when back to full health.
The potential loss of Wirfs is an unfortunate loss to a team that is looking to make a deep playoff run in 2025. Wirfs has been one of the most consistently dominant tackles in the NFL, grading with a league high 93.7 pass block grade via PFF. Replacing his dominance will be nearly impossible. The team will rely on Charlie Heck to step into the starting left tackle role during Wirfs’ injury absence. Heck is a veteran swing tackle, who will be tasked with an almost impossible job.
Despite the uncertainty, Bowles emphasized the importance of being prepared across the roster. “All we can do is get the next guys ready,” he said.
