Tristan Wirfs‘ monetary future has been settled. The All-Professional deal with agreed on a five-year, $140.6M Buccaneers extension on Thursday, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The transfer is now official, per a workforce announcement.
This monster pact contains $88.24M in ensures, Schefter provides. Wirfs remains to be on the books for the approaching season by way of his fifth-year possibility, so Thursday’s deal means he’s underneath contract by means of 2029. This settlement checks the ultimate main piece of enterprise off Tampa Bay’s offseason to-do listing.
Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans and Antoine Winfield Jr. every secured big-money offers this 12 months to maintain them with the Buccaneers. The latter — as anticipated — turned the league’s highest-paid security together with his extension. Wirfs’ deal checks in at an AAV of $28.12M, which strikes him to the highest of the pecking order for left tackles. Bucs normal supervisor Jason Licht made it clear this previous weekend that the 25-year-old would probably take the highest spot financially for at the very least blindside protectors, and that has now occurred. Wirfs has additionally moved forward of Penei Sewell, who turned the highest earner for proper tackles earlier this offseason.
Wirfs attended coaching camp in anticipation of an settlement however didn’t take part in workforce drills earlier than the deal was finalized. The Iowa alum stated progress was being made, so the expectation remained that he would quickly have a long-term accord. That’s the case, so Tampa Bay’s subsequent practices can have the workforce’s full offense readily available.
For the primary three seasons of his profession, Wirfs manned the suitable deal with spot and delivered sturdy outcomes. The previous No. 13 choose earned Professional Bowl invites in 2021 and ’22, including a first- and second-team All-Professional nod. Tampa Bay moved on from veteran left deal with Donovan Smith final offseason, paving the best way for Wirfs to modify to the blindside. That transition went nicely, because the latter added one other Professional Bowl to his resume and cemented himself because the Buccaneers’ offensive line anchor.
Contemplating the $18.24M Wirfs was already assured to earn in 2024, his complete scheduled compensation is just below $159M. That is essentially the most profitable contract in franchise historical past, guaranteeing Wirfs shall be in place for the foreseeable future. Tampa Bay will purpose for a fourth straight NFC South title in 2024, and he’ll little question play a serious function in figuring out whether or not or not a return to the postseason ensues.
The Buccaneers entered Thursday with roughly $25M in 2025 cap house. That determine will change drastically as soon as Wirfs’ deal is formally on the books, however absorbing his scheduled cap hits needs to be possible for now. After a visit to the divisional spherical of the playoffs, a number of members of the workforce’s nucleus are actually set to stay in place because the Bucs try to enhance their 2023 efficiency. Wirfs’ accord will now, in flip, function the brand new customary for future deal with mega-deals.
