Bucs Address LT Tristan Wirfs Sitting out With ‘Significant Knee Brace’: Report

The status of Tampa Bay Buccaneers star left tackle Tristan Wirfs raised some alarms on Tuesday morning after BucsGameday reporter JC Allen shared a photo of the integral offensive lineman “sporting a brace on his right knee” at Bucs mandatory minicamp.

After day one of minicamp practices concluded on June 10, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles addressed the media and Wirfs’ knee, and his message was a relief.

“Tristan Wirfs did not practice and had a significant knee brace on his right leg,” Tampa Bay Times beat reporter Rick Stroud noted after practice. Relaying: “Todd Bowles did not elaborate on Wirfs’ injury. [But said,] ‘It’s precautionary. It’s the offseason.’”

Jenna Laine of ESPN also reported an additional quote from Bowles, which is important, in which the veteran HC stated: “He’ll be fine in training camp.”

As of now, it seems like Wirfs’ right knee is no major cause for concern. But if you’re expecting the core foundational pillar to line up on the practice field this week, think again.

The Bucs have no reason to risk an injury to one of their most important players. With that being said, it would make sense to keep Wirfs on ice until training camp starts up in late July, a plan Bowles hinted may come to pass on Tuesday.

aTristan Wirfs Has Been Durable Throughout His Buccaneers Career

As far as offensive tackles go, Wirfs has been one of the more reliable ones in all of football when it comes to durability.

He’s started 16 or more games in four of his first five NFL seasons, with the outlier being the 2022 campaign. Wirfs battled through a nagging ankle injury that year and eventually sat out the final two weeks as a precaution.

The Bucs had already locked up a playoff spot at the time, so there was no reason to push Wirfs. In the end, he started 13 games that season, a low mark for his career.

Wirfs was listed on the injury report with a “knee” issue a couple of times in 2024, but he was able to play through it for the most part, missing one start in Week 10 due to an MCL sprain.

Despite those injuries, Wirfs has been voted a Pro Bowler every year since 2021, along with two first-team All-Pro honors (2021 and 2024) and one second-team All-Pro honor during the 13-game campaign in 2022.

It’s a good bet that Wirfs will be on the field for the Buccaneers when the snaps start to matter.

Other Injuries at Day 1 of Bucs Minicamp

Pewter Report’s Bailey Adams gave a full report on the players who were sidelined with injury on June 10, which included Wirfs.

“He was wearing a brace on his right knee and was seen doing some pass sets off to the side about halfway through practice,” Adams wrote, regarding Wirfs. “While the brace looked to be a bit of a hindrance, Wirfs appeared to be moving well.”

Adams also noted that veteran linebacker Lavonte David did not participate in practice despite being in attendance. Along with David, the following players watched practice from the sidelines on Tuesday, per Adams:

• Rookie edge rusher David Walker.
• Offensive tackle Silas Dzansi.
• Quarterback Michael Pratt.
• Safeties Marcus Banks and Christian Izien — who worked out early on.
• Wide receivers Trey Palmer and Chris Godwin.

Veteran pass rusher Haason Reddick did practice after making his return to Bucs facilities on June 9. According to Bowles, via Adams, he “came into minicamp in great shape and was flying around just like [Tampa Bay] expected him to.”