NFL: Bucs Make Tristan Wirfs Highest Paid OL in NFL History
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed two-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs to a five-year contract extension, making him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history. Wirfs’ deal is the fourth contract extension given by the Buccaneers to a Pro Bowl Tampa Bay draft selection this offseason, following deals with linebacker Lavonte David, wide receiver Mike Evans, and safety Antoine Winfield Jr.
“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 lineman 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.”
Wirfs (6-5, 320) has started 63 regular season games – including eight postseason contests – for the Buccaneers since being drafted with the No. 13 overall pick by Tampa Bay in the 2020 NFL Draft. In his career, Wirfs has allowed 12 sacks in 3,125 pass blocking snaps according to Pro Football Focus, good for a sack rate of 0.4%. Since Wirfs joined the Buccaneers, Tampa Bay has posted the league’s lowest sacks-per-pass-attempt rate in the NFL at 3.8%. Additionally, the Buccaneers have yielded the second-fewest sacks (107) and second-fewest quarterback hits (293) in the NFL over that span.
“Tristan perfectly fits the mold of what we look for in our players,” said Buccaneers Head Coach Todd Bowles. “His relentless work ethic, elite athleticism, unmatched talent and leadership qualities make him an invaluable asset to our team. This extension not only solidifies our offensive line for the future but also sends a clear message about our commitment to maintaining a championship culture and retaining the players that we draft and develop. Tristan’s presence is felt everywhere in this organization – from the field, to the locker room, to the weight room and meeting rooms. I’m excited to see him continue to help lead our team.”
Making the switch from right tackle to left tackle, Wirfs logged 1,233 offensive snaps at left tackle in 2023 and yielded just five sacks and six quarterback hits across 19 games. Per Pro Football Focus, Wirfs’ pass-blocking grade of 85.5 ranked second among qualified tackles, while his overall offensive grade of 83.1 ranked sixth. He anchored an offensive line that helped produce year-over-year increases in points scored, turnover margin, passing touchdowns, passer rating, net yards per pass attempt, third-down conversion rate, fourth-down conversion rate, and time of possession.
Wirfs earned his third consecutive Pro Bowl selection in 2023, joining Tony Mayberry (1997-99) as the only offensive linemen in franchise history with three straight trips to the Pro Bowl. He became the first Buccaneers player at any position to accomplish the feat since Gerald McCoy made six consecutive Pro Bowls from 2012-17. In addition to his three Pro Bowl selections, Wirfs was also selected first-team All-Pro in 2021, second-team All-Pro in 2022, and was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2020. He also started at right tackle for Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl LV Championship team in his rookie season.
A native of Mount Vernon, Iowa, Wirfs attended the University of Iowa (2017-19), where he appeared in 34 career games. In his final season at Iowa in 2019, Wirfs received first-team All-America recognition, was named first-team All-Big Ten, and was dubbed the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year.
