The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are preparing to face the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4, and they could get their starting left tackle back for that game.
Tristan Wirfs has not played this season, but the four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro is set to make his season debut at a time the Bucs could use him most.
Speaking to reports recently, Wirfs admitted it took him by surprise when he started having an issue with his knee and didn’t understand why.
“It was really frustrating, because I was training like I normally would train, and getting MRI’s and seeing it getting worse. And I was preparing. I was like, ‘All right, we’re gonna get through it,’” Wirfs told reporters on Sept. 25. “From what we saw, they’re like, ‘Nothing’s wrong.’ And I was like, ‘All right, let’s – we’re gonna get to the season, it’s gonna suck, I don’t know if it’s gonna be pretty, but we’re gonna do it.’
“Then, it was just kind of like, almost a relief, knowing that I’m not crazy. There’s something there that was causing this. Again, frustrated about the timing, but really glad it got fixed. It’s crazy now, being pain-free compared to the entire offseason. I couldn’t go up and down stairs. I was like, ‘This sucks.’ But, yeah, to feel how I feel now is awesome.”
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Without Wirfs, the Buccaneers have turned to second-year offensive lineman Graham Barton to fill his spot.
The 26th overall pick in the 2024 draft, Barton was supposed to be the Bucs’ starting center. However, he’s played all 209 offensive snaps at left tackle filling in for Wirfs, while Charlie Heck took over the right tackle spot after Luke Goedeke went down with a foot injury over a week ago and was placed on injured reserve.
The Buccaneers have allowed six sacks on the season, which is tied for the sixth-most in the league entering Week 4.
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However, even if Wirfs returns, the Buccaneers could still be entering this contest short-handed.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield is dealing with a biceps injury and was limited in the Buccaneers’ first practice of the week.
The good news for the Bucs is that Mayfield was on the field for the portion of Thursday’s practice that was open to the media, seemingly signaling he could be available for Tampa’s tough matchup against the Eagles this weekend.