Can Buccaneers LT Tristan Wirfs still win the NFL's Protector of the Year award?

The NFL's new Protector of the Year award is set to go to the NFL's best offensive lineman, with the league finally giving the trenches some love with a new annual award. Buccaneers left tackle Tristan Wirfs, an All-Pro in 2024, was initially one of the frontrunners for the award — but that's changed after Wednesday's news.

Wirfs underwent knee surgery on Wednesday that will likely see him miss the first four games of the season after extra damage from an MCL tear he suffered in Week 10 last year surfaced, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud. The Bucs will turn to swing tackle Charlie Heck in his stead, but the injury will likely stunt Wirfs' chances at the Protector of the Year award... or will it?

Writer JC Allen and editor River Wells both gave their takes on whether or not Wirfs still has a chance at the award below:

Why he can (JC Allen, Writer)

It will be an uphill battle for Wirfs to win the NFL Protector of the Year award, but it's not impossible.

First, he will need to miss a minimum of four games — any more than that and an improbability becomes certainty. Remember, Wirfs was a first-team All-Pro last season and missed over two and a half games, and his play down the stretch showed he wasn't 100 percent, although he was still dominant.

He'll also need to be more dominant than he's ever been. In his two seasons at left tackle, he is the highest graded pass protector in the league, per Pro Football Focus, with a 92.1 grade. He'll need to quickly return to that form and be better for a chance at the award. Nothing in Wirfs' track record shows a regression, as he has ascended every year. Even with the cleanup surgery, it's a strong bet he returns to his elite former self sooner rather than later.

Lastly, the Bucs will need to be competitive. Most of the time, players who win awards are on a team with a modicum of success. The NFL's Protector of the Year will likely be no different. While Wirfs is out, Charlie Heck will need to step up and help keep the offensive line afloat during those four games. If he and the Bucs struggle and find themselves in an early 0-4 hole, it might be difficult to overcome, no matter how good Wirfs is upon his return. However, if Tampa Bay can come out of that stretch at least at 2-2, and continue to have success as the season progresses, and Wirfs is clearly a major indicator of that; say the offense is noticeably more efficient to the eyes and in the stats, he could however-unlikely bring home the innagrual award.

Why he can't (River Wells, Editor)

Players who miss too many games tend not to get yearly awards, and unfortunately, Wirfs is already on the cusp.

Wirfs is set to potentially miss four games on the Physically Unable to Perform list (PUP), and that's at the least — if he isn't feeling up to speed come Week 5, he could miss more. That's already almost double the amount of games he missed last year, and while that can win you an AP All-Pro nod, it might dissuade voters from going for another player who has played every game.

Additionally, there's the matter of whether or not Wirfs will be able to perform once he comes back from his knee injury. He didn't see too much of a dropoff last year after his initial MCL tear, but he also didn't have surgery. Tampa Bay will head to Seattle to play the Seahawks during what should be a very long flight, and it might take him a few games to get up to speed. The Bucs will be fine with that, but voters probably won't be. Additionally, the Bucs will play the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions, both of whom have tough defensive lines.

Wirfs had a definitive shot to win this award prior to his injury, but he's very unlikely to take home the hardware now. That's okay, though — the Bucs just need him healthy, and if he is, they can still compete for wins.