The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and All-Pro tackle Tristan Wirfs remain “very far apart” on a long-term contract extension, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.
Another source said that the Buccaneers and Tristan Wirfs are “miles apart” on a deal, according to Schultz. Wirfs is a 25-year-old left tackle for the Buccaneers, one of the best in the NFL at his position, and he is on the final year of his rookie contract with Tampa Bay.
Wirfs came into the NFL in 2020 and played right tackle for the Buccaneers, and he was an immediate hit. He has been one of the best tackles in the NFL since stepping foot in the league, and he moved over to left tackle, which makes him even more valuable given that he is protecting a quarterback's blind side.
The Buccaneers paid a number of key players this offseason, so it is understandable that Wirfs is asking to be paid. He is one of the most important players on the team.
Early in the offseason, the Buccaneers addressed the free agent statuses of quarterback Baker Mayfield and wide receiver Mike Evans by re-signing both of them. Baker Mayfield signed for three years, $115 million, while Mike Evans re-signed on a two-year, $41 million deal. Then, later in the offseason, Tampa Bay handed out a historic deal to safety Antoine Winfield Jr., which was for four years and $84.1 million. That deal makes Winfield the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL on a per-year basis.
What could Tristan Wirfs be looking for in a Buccaneers extension?
The tackle market has exploded this summer as well. First, Detroit Lions tackle Penei Sewell signed a four-year, $112 million extension which pays him $28 million a year. At the time, that was the record for the highest-paid tackle in the NFL.
That lasted until recently, when Minnesota Vikings tackle Christian Darrisaw signed a four-year, $113 million extension, paying him $28.5 million per year.
It would seem pretty safe to assume that Wirfs is asking for more than what Penei Sewell and Darrisaw just god, and rightfully so. He is very much in the class of those two, and has been around for longer. Wirfs is 25 years old, the same age as Darrisaw, while Sewell is 23 years old.
It might be a bit tougher for the Buccaneers to fit a Wirfs extension in with the contracts that have been handed out to Mayfield, Evans and Winfield, but he is one of the best in the NFL at one of the most important positions. It would be in their interest to get a deal done with Wirfs at some point in training camp so he will be on the field for Week 1.
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