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Buccaneers receive bad injury news that could put them in an early hole during the regular season

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Evan Winter | Last updated Jul 9, 2025 12:54 PM ET

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive line is one of the team's biggest strengths heading into 2025, but it just took a big hit when it comes to Tristan Wirfs' health.

Per Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud, Wirfs re-aggravated the right knee that caused hime to miss a game in 2024. He had arthroscopic surgery and more damage was found, therefore, his recovery window now extends into the first couple of games of the season. Meaning, Wirfs will likely miss the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons and the subsequent game against the Houston Texans.

The Bucs will start the season without All Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs, who underwent surgery on his right knee Tuesday and will likely miss at least the first couple games of the regular season. Wirfs aggravated a right knee injury in the offseaon that forced him to miss only…
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) July 9, 2025

Stroud also mentions the possibility of Wirfs starting on the Physically Unable to Perform list (PUP). If that happens, he'll miss the first four games of the season, at minimum. That would force him to miss matchups against the New York Jets and the Super Bowl-defending Philadelphia Eagles.

Wirfs is the Bucs' best offensive lineman and is easily one of their best players. Missing the first 2-4 games could certainly put the Bucs in an early hole, as they face some extremely dangerous pass rushes over that span.

The new-look Falcons pass rush is a nice mix of youth and veteran experience, along with athleticism. Then, there's the Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson combo in Houston. The Jets have a lethal, yet underrated pass rush with Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald and then obviously the Eagles are the Eagles, despite their offseason departures.

Veteran Charlie Heck is expected to take over for Wirfs while he recovers, with undrafted free agent Ben Chukwuma stepping up as the new swing tackle, potentially.

The key with all this, however, is the hope that this injury doesn't linger. The Bucs are already dealing with the aftermath of Chris Godwin's awful injury and the complicated recovery and everyone is aware of how much he means to the offense and the team. Another extended absence for a key player is not what the offense -which is expected to 2025's backbone- needs right now.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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