After months of negotiations, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and two-time All-Pro offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs agreed to a five-year, $140 million deal on Thursday morning that made Wirfs not only the highest paid offensive lineman in the history of the NFL, but also the highest-paid player in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history as well. Wirfs, who was a 1st Round pick of the Buccaneers in 2020, had been limited in training camp as he and the Bucs worked out the final details of a new, long-term deal, but now, with the kickoff of the 2024 preseason just hours away, the Bucs can rest comfortably knowing that one of the pillars of their franchise will remain in Tampa for a long time to come.
Of course, any time you hand out a deal this substantial, there's bound to be even the tiniest bit of buyer's remorse on one side as the ink is still drying. However, ESPN's Marcus Spears explained on NFL Live today why Tristan Wirfs is “worth every single penny” that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be paying him between now and the conclusion of the 2028 regular season.
By any metric, statistic or anecdote imaginable, Tristan Wirfs is comfortably one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL. Last season, Wirfs was the 6th-highest graded tackle in the league according to Pro Football Focus, but that's nothing new for the now very rich 25-year-old originally from Mount Vernon, Iowa. Wirfs has spent four seasons in the NFL, and he's been ranked as one of the ten best offensive tackles in the league in each of those four seasons by PFF. The three-time Pro Bowler has been called for only four false starts and just ten holding penalties in over 4,000 career snaps, and could conceivably be entering the prime years of his career just now.
Can Tristan Wirfs and the Buccaneers win their fourth straight NFC South title?
Following a Divisional Round loss to the Detroit Lions last January, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made an effort all offseason to bring back the key components of the group that made their fourth straight trip to the Playoffs last year. Wirfs was arguably the biggest — literally and figuratively — piece to be retained, but the Bucs also managed to re-sign Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Antoine Winfield Jr., and Lavonte David. This raises a very important question: why are the Bucs being discounted to such a large degree within the NFC South after winning the division last year?
Every sportsbook out there has the Atlanta Falcons listed as the considerable favorite to win the NFC South this season, likely in large part due to the acquisition of Kirk Cousins in the offseason. Atlanta has been in quarterback hell since the prime years of Matt Ryan petered out, and Cousins represents their best option on paper in that time. But Cousins is coming back off of a torn achilles and there is a new regime in Atlanta whose competency has already been called into question following the selection of Michael Penix Jr. with the 8th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. While the Buccaneers ceiling may not be as high as the Dirty Birds, they do feel like the safer bet to win the division.
And yes, part of the reason the Buccaneers feel safer is due to the presence of Tristan Wirfs, who has made a career of keeping his quarterbacks safe.
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