Tristan Wirfs
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be without the best player on their roster to start the 2024 NFL season, if not longer.
ESPN reported on July 9 that record-setting NFL All-Pro offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs will miss the start of the season with a knee injury after undergoing arthroscopic knee injury on July 8.
From ESPN: “Wirfs likely will start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, sources confirmed to ESPN. If he is placed on the PUP list, Wirfs would miss at least Tampa Bay’s first four games.”
Wirfs also missed a career high 4 games in 2022 but still earned Pro Bowl and NFL All-Pro honors.
The 6-foot-5, 320-pound superstar has only missed 5 games, total, through his first 5 NFL seasons, where he’s been a 3-time NFL All-Pro, 4-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion. Wirfs is also the only player in NFL history to earn NFL All-Pro honors at both right offensive tackle and left offensive tackle, his current position.
Wirfs caused some concern at minicamp in June when he showed up wearing a bulky knee brace.
“As of now, it seems like Wirfs’ right knee is no major cause for concern,” Heavy.com’s Michael Obermuller wrote on June 10. “But if you’re expecting the core foundational pillar to line up on the practice field this week, think again. The Bucs have no reason to risk an injury to one of their most important players. With that being said, it would make sense to keep Wirfs on ice until training camp starts up in late July, a plan Bowles hinted may come to pass on Tuesday.”
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles addressed the concern with Wirfs’ knee at the time.
“He’ll be fine in training camp,” Bowles told ESPN’s Jenna Laine.