Tom Brady Defect: Buccaneers OT Tristan Wirfs Latest Victim of Public Opinion
When Tom Brady arrived to quarterback the Tampa Bay Buccaneers so too did the national media and opportunities to play in primetime.
The Buccaneers also added a young offensive tackle that season named Tristan Wirfs who quickly became a cornerstone of the Super Bowl-winning roster, two more playoff teams, and the future of the organization.
Despite all of that, apparently, the other players around the league feel Wirfs’ impact on the game is fading, rapidly.
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After being ranked No. 41 overall in last year’s NFL Top 100 list, the fourth-year tackle came in No. 98 on this year’s version, a 57-spot plummet in just one season.
“Wirfs now has secured a spot in the Top 100 for three consecutive years,” says NFL.com’s Christian Gonzalez when writing about Wirfs’ appearance on those year’s list. “A rising star in the league, his exceptional blocking skills have made him one of the NFL’s best young tackles since he was drafted…He earned his second-career Pro Bowl spot in 2022.”
The description and ranking both shine a bright light on what’s wrong with much of national football coverage.
While Wirfs has made every Top 100 following his rookie season he’s only considered a ‘rising star’ in this league according to Gonzalez.
And while the Bucs’ offensive line certainly took a step backward as a unit in 2022 Wirfs himself was the eighth-best ranked offensive tackle in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus, and fourth-best in pass protection.
Again, while playing on a struggling line missing no fewer than three starters from the year before.
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Between the ranking itself and the analysis that followed it’s clear that while those close to Tampa Bay see Wirfs’ value for what it is, those outside of the area and fan base only saw him as a positive extension of Brady himself.
We’ve discussed the dark side of ‘The Brady Effect’ before, and here it would appear Wirfs is the latest victim of it.
Fortunately for the tackle and his teammates, a productive season this year leaves no more room for excuses from national media, and even other players around the league, who may finally have to give some of the Buccaneers’ best the credit they’ve long deserved.
Find David Harrison on Twitter @DHarrison82
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