Major Injury Update on Bucs' All-Pro Tackle Tristan Wirfs

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have an update on how long they will be without All-Pro tackle Tristan Wirfs.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers let the game vs. the Cleveland Browns get away from them late in the 4th quarter, allowing the Browns to tie the game up at 17 and force overtime. In overtime, the Bucs found it difficult once again to get much going on offense and ultimately weren't able to stop the Browns from scoring as they lost 23-17. However, during overtime it seemed like losing the game wasn't the biggest loss they would face as All-Pro offensive tackle, Tristan Wirfs, went down with what originally seemed like season-ending injury. Luckily, after further evaluation, it came to light that Wirfs injury may not be as serious as originally thought.

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The X-Ray has come back negative on Wirfs ankle. @gregauman reported that Wirfs was walking on it in the locker room. We'll know more when an MRI is done https://t.co/c5DlhvrCjc

— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) November 27, 2022

After being carted off and the broadcast not showing the replay of the injury, the worst was assumed. With the X-ray on Wirfs' ankle coming back negative, it was all about the extent of the injury and how long it would keep one of the Bucs' best linemen off the field. According to Ian Rapport, Wirfs could miss up to a month due to the ankle injury - lining him up to still return before the end of the regular season and the beginning of the playoffs.

Source: #Bucs OT Tristan Wirfs is expected to miss 3-4 weeks because of his ankle injury. The knee is fine. Considering how it looked, a pretty good outcome for the standout O-lineman.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 28, 2022

The Buccaneers have already had to deal with a massive shuffle along their offensive line this season, so losing Wirfs for any amount of time is not ideal for a team fighting to make the playoffs; especially one that is struggling to find consistency on the offensive side of the ball.

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During Wirfs' absence, expect veteran offensive tackle Josh Wells to get the start on the offensive line. Wells is no Wirfs, but he should be serviceable enough even with a tough slate of games against the 49ers, Bengals, and Cardinals coming up.

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