Buccaneers agree to extension with All-Pro LT

Tristan Wirfs‘ financial future has been settled. The All-Pro tackle agreed on a five-year, $140.6M Buccaneers extension on Thursday, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The move is now official, per a team announcement. 

This monster pact includes $88.24M in guarantees, Schefter adds. Wirfs is still on the books for the coming season via his fifth-year option, so Thursday’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.

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 $28.12M, which moves him to the top of the pecking order for left tackles. Bucs general manager Jason Licht made it clear this past weekend that the 25-year-old would likely take the top spot financially for at least blindside protectors, and that has now occurred. Wirfs has also moved ahead of Penei Sewell, who became the top earner for right tackles earlier this offseason.

Wirfs attended training camp in anticipation of an agreement but did not participate in team drills before the deal was finalized. The Iowa alum said progress was being made, so the expectation remained that he would soon have a long-term accord. That is the case, so Tampa Bay’s subsequent practices can 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. 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 Buccaneers’ offensive line anchor.

Considering the $18.24M Wirfs was already guaranteed to earn in 2024, his total scheduled compensation is just under $159M. This is the most lucrative contract in franchise history, ensuring 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 $25M 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 now. 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 their 2023 performance. Wirfs’ accord will now, in turn, serve as the new standard for future tackle mega-deals.