AUGUST 6: Wirfs will receive $52.24MM of his new guarantees locked in at signing, as detailed by OvertheCap. His $25MM roster bonus and $26MM 2025 base salary will provide significant cash flow early in the pact, which includes another $26MM in salary locked in for 2026 on the fifth day of the 2025 league year. The extension lowers Wirfs’ cap hit for this season to $6.61MM, though that figure will check in at more than $31MM every year from 2025-28.
AUGUST 1: Tristan Wirfs‘ financial future has been settled. The All-Pro tackle reached agreement on a five-year, $140.6MM Buccaneers extension on Thursday, as first reported by veteran insider Jordan Schultz. The move is now official, per a team announcement. 
This monster pact includes $88.24MM in guarantees, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds. Wirfs is still on the books for the coming season via his fifth-year option, so today’s deal means he is under contract through 2029. This agreement checks the final major piece of business off Tampa Bay’s offseason to-do list.
The likes of Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans and Antoine Winfield Jr. each secured big-money deals this year to keep them with the Buccaneers. The latter – as expected – became the league’s highest-paid safety with his extension. Wirfs’ deal checks in at an AAV of $28.12MM, which moves him to the top of the pecking order for left tackles. Bucs general manager Jason Licht made it clear this past weekend the 25-year-old would likely take the top spot financially for at least blindside protectors, and that has now taken place. Wirfs has also moved ahead of Penei Sewell, who earlier this offseason became the top earner for right tackles.
Wirfs attended training camp in anticipation of an agreement being worked out, but he did not take part in team drills prior to the deal being finalized. The Iowa alum said progress was being made, though, so the expectation remained that he would soon have a long-term accord in hand. That is now the case, so Tampa Bay’s subsequent practices can now have the team’s full offense on hand.
For the first three seasons of his career, Wirfs manned the right tackle spot and delivered strong results. The former No. 13 pick earned Pro Bowl invitations in 2021 and ’22, adding a first- and second-team All-Pro nod during that time. Tampa Bay moved on from veteran left tackle Donovan Smith last offseason, paving the way for Wirfs to switch to the blindside. That transition went well, as the latter added another Pro Bowl to his resume and cemented himself as the anchor of the Buccaneers’ offensive line.
When taking into account the $18.24MM Wirfs was already guaranteed to earn in 2024, his total scheduled compensation is just under $159MM. This is the most lucrative contract in franchise history, one which ensures Wirfs will be in place for the foreseeable future. Tampa Bay will aim for a fourth straight NFC South title in 2024, and he will no doubt play a major role in determining whether or not a return to the postseason ensues.
The Buccaneers entered Thursday with roughly $25MM in 2025 cap space. That figure will change drastically once Wirfs’ deal is officially on the books, but absorbing his scheduled cap hits should be feasible for the time being. After a trip to the divisional round of the playoffs, several members of the team’s nucleus are now set to remain in place as the Bucs attempt to improve on their 2023 performance. Wirfs’ accord will now, in turn, serve as the new standard for future tackle mega-deals.
Easy decision, now hopefully the other lineman develop. Besides Wirfs they are just average at best.
Agreed. It might take Barton a minute to adjust, since he hasn’t played center since he was a freshman, but I would be really surprised if he doesn’t turn into a very good NFL player.
Makes sense for Wirfs to reset the tackle market. What more could you ask of the guy? Standout play at both tackle spots, played 100% of the team’s offensive snaps last year, physical freak, won’t turn 26 until the week of the conference championships.
Hopefully they have enough money left to pay everyone else, or Baker is gonna need some track shoes.
They already paid all the top guys they need to pay…Evans, LVD, Vea(last year), Winfield.
If you are referring to the oline…everyone is on a rookie deal besides Wirfs now. None of the others have proven to deserve a big contract. Hainsey and Goedeke are going to be reasonable.
Godwin will probably be brought back even if they are confident in McMillian.
I wish that players were prohibited from skipping out of camp for extensions. It adds a layer of drama and distractions for teams that are trying to compete. Wouldn’t it make more sense for those who work and earn extensions compared to holding out because one thinks they are entitled to receive an extension?
It is allowed in the CBA and it is completely fine because in most of the cases the players are not missing out on too much. Not like they can really do much more than walk throughs now a days at practice. They are not doing 2 a days, guys know the playbooks. They also earned their contract by playing the games year prior. Practicing is not going to show anything additional and only leave a risk.
This is like saying no employer should allow a strike…
I agree that the CBA has greatly watered down what a practice or training camp consists of, but the “hold-in” is still a distraction within the team. It’s a loophole to avoid a fine for not showing up at camp..
If you have a HC and coaching staff that can’t handle a minor distraction such as a “hold-in” then it’s almost a certainty that the upcoming season will be a disaster.
The Mayfield deal really facilitates these deals. If he can play the way he did last year and not be paid 30-35m that’s gonna make this a team to watch.
As far as Wirfs goes this was an easy decision. I hate seeing a rookie or some guy who should be playing RT exposing QBs to blindside pressure from a poor LT. If beaten badly so many things can go wrong. Injury, fumble, hit as they throw, etc… When pressure comes from the right unless completely beaten the RT can at least push the DE behind the QB who can step up in the pocket fully aware of the pressure or scramble left. Up front pressure is in your face either back up or scramble but the key is they can see pressure and make decisions. The blindside if you can’t hear it or have a “feel” for it it’s too late if you can even tuck the football or get rid of it in time. LT like Wirfs play a premium position and often into what most players would say an advanced age are worth big money deals