Tristan Wirfs to Miss Start of Season After Knee Surgery

TAMPA, Fla. — Star left tackle Tristan Wirfs will likely miss the start of the 2025-26 regular season due to a knee injury, sources confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday. The 26-year-old is expected to be placed on the physically unable to perform list, which would keep him out for at least the first four games of the season.

Wirfs underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Tuesday, following an injury that he initially sustained last season. Despite wearing a brace throughout the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offseason program, he experienced setbacks that prompted him to opt for surgery. The news was first reported by the Tampa Bay Times.

In the last season, Wirfs managed to start all 16 games and was selected to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl. He has been a key player for the Buccaneers since being drafted in the first round of the 2020 draft and has started every game in his five-year career, totaling 79 appearances.

As the Buccaneers prepare for the season, they will be without one of their most important players. “It’s a big loss for the Bucs offense as Tristan Wirfs is arguably the team’s best offensive player,” said Rick Stroud from the Tampa Bay Times. “Replacing him will be a challenge.”

To fill in for Wirfs, the Buccaneers signed veteran tackle Charlie Heck during the offseason. Heck has a total of 23 starts in his career, including two last season with the Arizona Cardinals. The team hopes that Wirfs’s surgery will allow him to recover quickly and return later in the season.

At this point, fans and team officials alike are eager to see when Wirfs will be back on the field, but for now, the Buccaneers will have to adjust without him.