The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will start the season without the anchor of their offensive line, as Tristan Wirfs will be sidelined as he recovers from a knee injury. It's an unexpected blow to an offense that has little to no margin for error after back-to-back seasons of tremendous success.
The news was first reported by Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, who posted the update Tuesday morning on X.
“The Bucs will start the season without All Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs, who underwent surgery on his right knee Tuesday and will likely miss at least the first couple games of the regular season,” [wrote Stroud.](https://x.com/nflstroud/status/1942956102166909304?s=46) “The Bucs scheduled arthroscopic surgery for Wirfs Tuesday, and some additional minor damage was found. Wirfs will likely begin the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list.”
It's the same knee that Wirfs injured last season against the 49ers ahead of the team's bye week. He ended up missing only one game before returning, but apparently aggravated the injury this offseason. As bad as that all sounds, he had surgery to fix the problem and isn't a lock to end up on the Physically Unable to Perform list, even if that seems like the most likely possibility.
If Wirfs does end up on the PUP list, it would mean by rule, he has to sit out for the first four games of the 2025 season. The season’s opening stretch was already going to be a test for Tampa Bay, and without Wirfs, things just got a lot more daunting.
**Buccaneers not having Tristan Wirfs to start the season is a total nightmare scenario**
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The Buccaneers open the season with back-to-back road games in Atlanta and then Houston. Atlanta will be trotting out a new-look defensive line headlined by their two first-round pass rushers, Jalen Walker and James Pearce Jr.
In Houston, the Buccaneers will have to face a relentless Houston defense that finished No. 4 in the league last season with 49 team sacks.
In Week 4, they’ll have to face the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles who often overwhelm opponents with their dominant defensive line.
Right now, it appears that Charlie Heck is pencilled in to take over as the starting left tackle in Wirfs’ absence, and frankly, things could get ugly.
In 2024, Heck ranked No. 134 out of 140 qualifying offensive tackles by Pro Football Focus. He ranked as the second-worst run blocker in the entire NFL, and ranked in the lower tier as a pass blocker as well.
Another option on the roster is to give undrafted rookie Ben Chukwuma a shot, but the team would likely feel more confident with a veteran like Heck protecting Mayfield’s blindside rather than an undrafted rookie.
If the Bucs look outside the locker room for a plug-in, perhaps they’ll give their old friend Donovan Smith a call.
Smith didn’t play a down in 2024 as he remained unsigned in free agency, and he may be a bit rusty, but he brings familiarity to the locker room after spending the first eight seasons of his career in Tampa Bay.
But no matter who they bring in, it will be impossible to fill the void left by Wirfs’ absence. The team will have to find ways to assist the replacement left tackle and avoid being completely overwhelmed without their anchor.
Last year in a game against the Detroit Lions without right tackle Luke Goedeke, Tampa Bay allowed Aidan Hutchinson to record 4.5 sacks and single-handedly take over the game.
It’s hard not to get nervous when remembering that game, and taking a look at some of the defensive lines the Buccaneers will face early this season without Wirfs.
A challenging start to the season just got even more difficult, but the Bucs must find a way to keep themselves afloat as they await Wirfs’ return.
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