Tristan Wirfs‘ financial future has been settled. The All-Pro tackle reached agreement on a five-year, $140.6MM Buccaneers extension on Thursday, as first reported by veteran insider Jordan Schultz. The move is now official, per a team announcement.
This monster pact includes $88.24MM in guarantees, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds. Wirfs remains to be on the books for the approaching season via his fifth-year option, so today’s deal means he’s under contract through 2029. This agreement checks the ultimate major piece of business off Tampa Bay’s offseason to-do list.
The likes of Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans and Antoine Winfield Jr. each secured big-money deals this 12 months to maintain them with the Buccaneers. The latter – as expected – became the league’s highest-paid safety together with his extension. Wirfs’ deal checks in at an AAV of $28.12MM, which moves him to the highest of the pecking order for left tackles. Bucs general manager Jason Licht made it clear this past weekend the 25-year-old would likely take the highest spot financially for at the least blindside protectors, and that has now taken place. Wirfs has also moved ahead of Penei Sewell, who earlier this offseason became the highest earner for right tackles.
Wirfs attended training camp in anticipation of an agreement being worked out, but he didn’t participate in team drills prior to the deal being finalized. The Iowa alum said progress was being made, though, so the expectation remained that he would soon have a long-term accord in hand. That’s now the case, so Tampa Bay’s subsequent practices can now have the team’s full offense available.
For the primary three seasons of his profession, Wirfs manned the appropriate tackle spot and delivered strong results. The previous No. 13 pick earned Pro Bowl invitations in 2021 and ’22, adding a first- and second-team All-Pro nod during that point. Tampa Bay moved on from veteran left tackle Donovan Smith last offseason, paving the way in which for Wirfs to modify to the blindside. That transition went well, because the latter added one other Pro Bowl to his resume and cemented himself because the anchor of the Buccaneers’ offensive line.
When taking into consideration the $18.24MM Wirfs was already guaranteed to earn in 2024, his total scheduled compensation is just below $159MM. That is probably the most lucrative contract in franchise history, one which ensures Wirfs will likely be in place for the foreseeable future. Tampa Bay will aim for a fourth straight NFC South title in 2024, and he’ll little doubt play a serious role in determining whether or not a return to the postseason ensues.
The Buccaneers entered Thursday with roughly $25MM in 2025 cap space. That figure will change drastically once Wirfs’ deal is officially on the books, but absorbing his scheduled cap hits ought to be feasible in the intervening time. After a visit to the divisional round of the playoffs, several members of the team’s nucleus at the moment are set to stay in place because the Bucs try to improve on their 2023 performance. Wirfs’ accord will now, in turn, function the brand new standard for future tackle mega-deals.
