Buccaneers All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs is anticipated to be sidelined for the beginning of the 2025 regular season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee this week, in line with Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
Wirfs sprained the MCL in his right knee last November, per FOX Sports’ Greg Auman, but only missed one game before returning to the sphere. The soreness from that injury lingered into the offseason, in line with CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, sidelining Wirfs for parts of spring practices, during which he wore a brace on his knee. Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said last month (via Auman) said Wirfs’ limited participation was “precautionary,” adding that “he’ll be high quality in training camp.”
Nonetheless, the team determined that surgery was best for Wirf’s long-term health. The knee scope revealed more damage than expected, and the 2020 first-rounder can be placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list during training camp, per Stroud. His stay on the PUP list will likely extend into the regular season.
All eyes in Tampa Bay will now turn to the team’s tackle depth. Wirfs isn’t expected to miss greater than just a few games, so the Buccaneers are unlikely to flip right tackle Luke Goedeke to the blind side. The team swapped out veteran swing tackles this offseason, letting Justin Skule depart in free agency and signing Charlie Heck. Heck began two games at left tackle for the 49ers last season and can likely be the Buccaneers’ Week 1 starter.
Wirfs will now begin the recovery process from the recent surgery with the goal of missing as few games as possible. Of greater importance to each him and the Buccaneers can be a full and complete recovery from his MCL injury with five years remaining on his extension signed in 2024.