Xavier Gipson, New York Jets
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New York Jets wide receiver Xavier Gipson reacting in the middle of an NFL game versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The New York Jets don’t start the 2025 season for another two months, but an important update hit social media on Wednesday, July 9.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers All-Pro offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs had knee surgery on Tuesday, July 8. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times revealed that when Wirfs went under the knife, the team found “additional minor damage.”
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport said Wirfs “will likely start the season on the physically unable to perform list.” If that transpires, Wirfs would be out for “at least” the first four weeks of the 2025 season.
Why should that matter to Jets fans?
The green and white are scheduled to travel to Tampa Bay to play the Buccaneers in Week 3 on Sunday, September 21. Wirfs would be ineligible to participate in that game.
“It’s a big blow for the Bucs. Wirfs protects the blind side of quarterback Baker Mayfield, one of his closest friends on the team. The Bucs signed 49ers free agent left tackle Charlie Heck, who is likely to replace Wirfs to start the season. The Bucs improved from last to fourth overall in rushing last season. Wirfs was limited in OTAs and minicamp and wore a brace on his right knee,” Stroud said on X previously Twitter.
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. Wirfs aggravated a right knee injury in the offseaon that forced him to miss only…
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) July 9, 2025
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This Is a Massive Benefit for the Jets Heading Into That Contest
Wirfs, 26, entered the league as the No. 13 overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. The former Iowa product quickly became one of the best offensive linemen in football.
Wirfs has been named a Pro Bowler in four straight seasons heading into 2025. He earned All-Pro honors in three of his five seasons. Twice, he was named a first-team All-Pro (2021 and 2024) and once he was named a second-team All-Pro (2022).
Across his five seasons, Wirfs has appeared and started in 79 games.
He started his NFL career as a right tackle, playing in 3,185 snaps. However, over the last two years, he has shifted over to left tackle, playing in 2,110 snaps, per Pro Football Focus.
Wirfs has been named an All-Pro at two different positions on the offensive line during his career.
Tampa Bay Is Going to Experience a Massive Downgrade
With Wirfs out, journeyman Charlie Heck is expected to get the starting nod at left tackle for the Bucs, according to Stroud.
Heck, 28, has appeared in 50 games and has made 23 starts during his five-year career. The former North Carolina product has only started more than four games in a season once in his career.
How big of a drop-off is there between Wirfs and Heck?
This past season, Wirfs was crowned as the best pass-protecting offensive tackle in the NFL with a league-best 93.7 pass blocking grade. In that same grading system, Heck finished with a 47.8 pass blocking grade. That ranked 115th out of 140 eligible offensive tackles in pass blocking, per PFF.
“Over the past five seasons — since Tampa Bay drafted Wirfs in the first round — there are only five seasons where an offensive tackle played more than 300 pass-blocking snaps and allowed pressure on less than 2% of pass plays. Two of those belong to Andrew Whitworth and Lane Johnson, while the other three were courtesy of Wirfs,” Zoltán Buday of Pro Football Focus wrote.
The Jets just received a massive advantage months ahead of the season.