On Monday morning, just after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' fifth training camp practice, Tristan Wirfs said his contract talks with the team were "moving good." Turns out that was an understatement.
By Thursday morning, those talks were complete and Wirfs had agreed to a new five-year extension that runs through the 2029 season. Though the Buccaneers typically do not share salary information publicly, Wirfs' deal has been confirmed as the most lucrative one ever for an NFL offensive tackle. It also made him the highest paid player in franchise history.
The Buccaneers obviously feel that Wirfs is worth it after he put together a first four seasons that ranks among the best by any player at any position in team annals. In those four campaigns, Wirfs has already won a Super Bowl championship ring, earned both first and second-team Associated Press All-Pro accolades and made the Pro Bowl at both right tackle and left tackle. After two all-star seasons on the right edge, Wirfs moved over the left side in 2023 and immediately ranked as one of the best players at that position in the NFL, earning another Pro Bowl invitation.
"From the day he walked in the door, Tristan has brought a work ethic and a commitment to greatness that has elevated everybody in the building," said Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht. "He has established himself as a premier offensive linemen in the league and has become an unquestioned leader inside the locker room. Tristan is pivotal to our success as a team, and we are ecstatic to retain a player and a person of his caliber. We are proud to have him as a cornerstone of our team and we look forward to achieving more great things together."
Tampa Bay selected Wirfs with the 13th overall pick in the 2020 draft after trading up one spot in the first round. He won the starting right tackle job to open his rookie season and opened all 20 games, playoffs included, as the Buccaneers won the second league title in franchise history. He has since started all 71 games in which he has played, missing just four contests in 2022.
As a first-round pick, Wirfs' initial contract was the standard four-year structure with a team option for a fifth season, which the Buccaneers picked up in the spring of 2023. He is now headed into that fifth season and his new contract will kick in in 2025.
Wirfs chose not to hold out during his contract negotiations and has instead attended every training camp practice and meeting. Given the possibility of injury, he hasn't been taking part in full-team drills during practice but has been on hand to get mental reps. He couldn't bear the thought of being away from his teammates during a very important part of the preparations for the upcoming season, in which the Bucs will try to win a fourth straight division title. Now Wirfs can get fully back into the mix with his teammates.
"I think that's just part of who I am," said Wirfs of his decision to stay with the team. "Like I said, it was hard enough sitting out those OTAs, so [I am] just wanting to be out there with the guys and not let them down. Just knowing what's at stake almost. We got close last year, so every rep counts, being out there as much as I can, building that camaraderie, building the continuity with everybody, with the line. We've got a new guard competition, center competition, so it's like wanting to get all our communication down and be on the same page. So [I'm] just trying to be out there with my guys as much as possible."
Since the end of the 2023 campaign, the Buccaneers have done a significant amount of work to keep the core of a team that has made four straight playoff appearances intact. Potential free agents Mike Evans, Lavonte David, Baker Mayfield and Chase McLaughlin all were re-signed, and Antoine Winfield Jr. got the franchise tag and later a long-term deal making him the highest paid defensive back in NFL history. The new deal for Wirfs is another enormous step in that direction.
