Bucs Coach Todd Bowles Has An Update On Tristan Wirfs’ Progress

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles believes that All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs will be back “sooner than later” following recent knee surgery. On the eve of Tampa Bay’s training camp, Bowles discussed Wirfs’ surgery, which happened soon after the mandatory mini-camp with JoeBucsFan and revealed why the surgery didn’t happen sooner.

“Obviously, there have been talks since the season ended and for it to heal,” Bowles said. ”And [the medical staff and Wirfs] each other decided to get the surgery done. Sometimes when you let things heal, they don’t heal the right way. That’s just part of it.

“That’s just like going for it on fourth down. Either you get it or you don’t. Either it heals or it doesn’t and you have to get surgery. But there was great communication throughout and Tristan’s in great spirits right now. And if I was a bettin’ man, I’d bet he’d be back sooner than later. All we can do is get the next guys ready.”

There has been speculation that the Bucs may place Wirfs on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list and that he might miss the first three games of the 2025 season. As of Tuesday morning the team had not officially placed Wirfs on that list, but with veterans reporting on Tuesday team trainers will get a look at Wirfs’ progress after surgery when he takes his pre-camp physical.

When pressed about a possible timetable for Wirfs’ return, Bowles was non-committal.

“That I cannot tell you,” Bowles said. “I just know he’ll be ready sooner than later. I don’t know if it’s Week 1, 2, 3. He’ll definitely put the work in, so I don’t have a problem with that.”

Wirfs recently posted a workout video on social media and Bowles was asked for his reaction to it.

“I would feel better if you told me he put out a video jumping out of a pool on one leg,” Bowles said. “Then I’d know he’d be close to being ready to play.”

Wirfs only missed one full game due to his knee injury last year and returned to action in Week 12 at Los Angeles and went on to have a season that ended with first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.

The Buccaneers and their star tackle had hoped that rest, rehab and recovery would heal any damage from the minor knee, but that wasn’t the case. Wirfs and the Bucs ran out of time during the offseason and needed to get the surgery scheduled before training camp.

Todd Bowles Not Fazed By Tristan Wirfs’ Knee Injury

The Buccaneers won a game last year without Tristan Wirfs, who injured his right knee in Week 9 in a 23-20 loss to the 49ers prior to the bye week. Wirfs wound up missing one game as a result of his knee injury, a Week 11 win at New York against the Giants.

Backup tackle Justin Skule filled in for Wirfs against the 49ers and the Giants and played well. But Skule left for Minnesota in free agency and is set to start at left tackle while Vikings starter Christian Darrisaw continues to recover from a torn ACL he suffered last year.

Tampa Bay signed veteran Charlie Heck to replace Skule as the team’s swing tackle, and he took all of the starting left tackle snaps in place of Wirfs during the OTAs and the mandatory mini-camp. That will continue in training camp and the preseason, and perhaps at the start of the regular season until Wirfs returns.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles isn’t fazed by Wirfs possibly missing a few games and having Heck start in his place.

“Unfortunately, it’s one of our best players,” Bowles said. “But we’ve been without Mike [Evans]. We’ve been without Chris [Godwin]. We’ve been without Vita [Vea]. We’ve been without [Calijah] Kancey. We’ve been without [Antoine] Winfield [Jr.]. We’ve been without guys and gotten through.

“We even played without right tackle Luke [Goedeke] last year and we had to have  Skule, so this will be a situation for Heck or someone else to step up at tackle and hold the fort ‘til he gets back.”

The Buccaneers are bringing in veteran offensive tackle George Fant to work out for the team on Tuesday prior to training camp. If he performs well and is in shape team could sign him to a one-year deal to compete with Heck or provide depth at offensive tackle. Without Wirfs, only Heck and Goedeke have experience playing tackle and the position is quite thin as a result of Wirfs being out of action.

The team went 3-2 in games that Skule started for either Wirfs or Goedeke last year. Tampa Bay hopes it can go undefeated with Heck subbing in for Wirfs. And of course the hope is that Wirfs returns sooner rather than later.