Tampa Bay Buccaneers OT Tristan Wirfs Predicted to Break the Bank in 2025

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made retaining their talent a priority in 2024 and will need to do so again in 2025.

Dec 31, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs (78) / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did a great job retaining their own talent this offseason and even brought back a player they once had to let walk away with safety Jordan Whitehead returning on a two-year deal.

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Allowing linebacker Devin White to depart and trading cornerback Carlton Davis III to the Detroit Lions helped the Buccaneers manage the cap effectively to keep more critical players like receiver Mike Evans, quarterback Baker Mayfield, linebacker Lavonte David, safety Antoine Winfield and others.

But that's going to look like light work compared to the massive check Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht is going to need to negotiate next offseason, according to 33rd Team's Ari Meirov.

Dec 31, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs (78) / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

"Tristan Wirfs is entering the final year of his deal. He's going to try to surpass the $25 million per year that (offensive tackle) Laramey Tunsil is getting in Houston," says Meirov. "He started his career at right tackle (and) was an All-Pro there (then) moved over to left tackle last year. Tampa Bay wanted to see how (that was) going to go... it is time to pay him some huge money. Expect him to go over $25 million per year."

In his first year at left tackle, Wirfs was one of just four offensive tackles to earn a pass-blocking grade of 86 while recording 777 pass-blocking reps allowing just 24 pressures and was flagged just once.

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On his current deal, Wirfs earns $4.057M on average per year which ranks top 25 among left tackles according to Over The Cap playing on his fifth-year option in the last year of his rookie contract.

Tunsil's average contract value of $25 million per year is the top figure in the league currently so exceeding that could make Wirfs the top-paid left tackle in the NFL depending on new and subsequent deals.

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