“Radical Depth Issue”
July 9th, 2025
Injured Tristan Wirfs.
Offensive tackles Benjamin Chukwuma, Silas Dzansi, Garret Greenfield and Raiqwon O’Neal aren’t household football names.
That’s because they haven’t taken snaps in real NFL games, but they are on the Bucs roster and in a spotlight now that Tristan Wirfs has a significant knee injury.
Wirfs will miss at least one game and maybe four after knee surgery yesterday.
A guy who gushed about the Bucs’ starting offensive line this month but also blasted the team for miserable O-line depth, ex-Jets personnel chief Pat Kirwan, went back for another shot at the Tampa Bay backups this afternoon on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
A “radical depth issue” in Tampa, Kirwan barked. “They have Charlie Heck behind [Wirfs], and nothing behind him. That’s scary.”
Kirwan had orders for Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht and slapped around journeyman Heck signed in March.
“You better be jumping on a veteran guy, and you better be getting a guy in there that can just actually replace Charlie Heck when everyone’s settled down and Wirfs is back,” Kirwan said. “Hopefully, you found an older veteran that can come in here and replace Heck as the backup guy. … Nothing against Charlie, but sorry, Charlie.”
Joe can’t spin a loss of Wirfs to be trivial. The guy is an All-Pro in his prime. However, Kirwan needs to take a deep breath.
This is not a season-ending injury to Wirfs. In fact, Wirfs has missed time in three of his five NFL seasons. Plus, as Joe wrote, Licht has a track record of identifying quality backup linemen.
There’s plenty of time for the Bucs to assess Heck further, comb the streets and make a sound decision.
Remember, Licht pulled a starting tackle and a starting center off the street in the summer of 2015. The Bucs proceeded that season to have a punishing run game and sent their starting quarterback to the Pro Bowl. That summer situation was far more dire than the Wirfs recovery.
A Quick Word On The Tristan Wirfs Injury, And Ira Kaufman Talks Cornerback Decisions, Trending Predictions, Head Coach Playoff Records, Year 2 Of Bucky Irving, And Much More
July 9th, 2025 at 4:48 pm
ughhhh cannot imagine this was not taken care before now. Not good! Just found out! very concerned, we need depth and we need a starter now.
July 9th, 2025 at 4:53 pm
I love Chukwuma upside
Remember Big Donald Penn
He was also an USDA unknown
July 9th, 2025 at 4:57 pm
I have read 1-4 games will be missed, what is correct?
July 9th, 2025 at 5:03 pm
Can Des Watson play tackle
July 9th, 2025 at 5:09 pm
skule on the roster?
July 9th, 2025 at 5:10 pm
**UDFA**, this site type for me
July 9th, 2025 at 5:13 pm
@firecannons.. mandatory 4 if ( which sounds most likely) he starts on PUP
July 9th, 2025 at 5:19 pm
Thx Miken bummer!
July 9th, 2025 at 5:34 pm
They have not placed Wirfs on the PUP and there’s no need to yet. If he heals real quickly he could be back for week 1. That’s a big IF though. I’m sure they will monitor his progress and make a decision from there. It’s definitely too early to panic but be concerned for now and prepare for the worst (missing *some* time). Really depends on what was wrong too that caused the surgery to be done. There’s different timelines for the various things that could have been wrong…
July 9th, 2025 at 5:43 pm
Looks like the issue was MCL related and wasn’t a complete rupture so recover timeline is usually 6-12 weeks. Wirfs would need to heal real fast to make week 1.
July 9th, 2025 at 5:48 pm
This is a prime opportunity for coach Carberry to reinforce his value as an asset on this staff. No matter how we go about softening this blow, I at the very least feel like we’re in good hands from a coaching up standpoint.
July 9th, 2025 at 5:49 pm
Here is the way I see it right now
The Bucs and Tampa media aren’t exactly known for transparency on injuries, and Stroud often seems to be the first to hear news, possibly because he doesn’t dig into the medical details that fans crave. That leaves a lot of guesswork for us.
Regarding the 1–4 games missed timeline being discussed — it’s important to understand what that actually means in an NFL context.
Partial meniscus tears or minor “repairs” (like trimming frayed tissue) will many times allow a player to return in 4 to 6 weeks, which would mean being back right at or before the season start. That timeline fits smaller procedures but not major ligament surgeries.
NFL teams, including the Bucs, don’t automatically put players on the PUP list for every surgically repaired partial ligament tear. The PUP designation is reserved for players who will definitely miss at least the first four games.
If reports end up being true that Wirfs will start the season on PUP, that strongly implies a more serious injury — most likely a complete ligament tear or a complex repair.
None of those more complex knee injuries make him available even in early October.
But let’s wait and see. Maybe as Stpetematt says he will not go on the PUP list.
July 9th, 2025 at 6:20 pm
If it was a complete MCL rupture, the medical staff did a terrible job this off-season not getting it handled much sooner. I don’t think that’s the case, so the PUP shouldn’t be necessary.
July 9th, 2025 at 6:25 pm
There are 3 key players who the Bucs can’t afford to lose for any appreciable length of time, not only because they’re extremely good players but even more-so because the DEPTH behind them is quite circumspect at this moment: Mayfield, Vea & Wirfs. Those are our big-dogs.
No disrespect to Charlie Heck, but heck, looking back through his career he’s been almost exclusively a RIGHT Tackle in the games he’s appeared in. I’m sure that he’s been ‘cross-trained’ as a Left Tackle (since he’s been almost exclusively a back-up), but that’s not the same IMO as being ‘baptized by fire’ in actual games on the left side.
Personally I don’t mind ‘kicking the tires’ on Donovan Smith at this point. Tried to check on his status, but here’s all I was able to find out in a recent article (Donovan played for the Chiefs in 2023, but missed all of 2024 with a hip injury) …
“That’s because Smith, who the Chiefs signed to a one-year, $3 million contract before the 2023 season, suffered a hip injury while training in May of 2024 that caused him to miss the entire 2024 campaign.
According to a source close to the situation, about half of the league called to check on Smith last year.
Though he wasn’t able to help the Chiefs or any other team in 2024, he’s better now and hopes to continue his career in 2025.” – Jeff Fedotin
July 9th, 2025 at 6:40 pm
Of course Brandon Walton is on the Panthers now. I thought he was still with us. We are in big trouble.
July 9th, 2025 at 7:04 pm
THERE’S ALWAYS AUG 27TH
8xOT were drafted in the first two round of the 2025 draft.
On August 27th, teams have to make roster cuts. At least 8 teams will be shedding an OT. If none of our backups look like a viable replacement for 4 games, the Bucs have the ability to pick up or trade for a vet with starter experience.
July 9th, 2025 at 7:05 pm
Incompetence runs deep at 1 Buc Place.
July 9th, 2025 at 7:08 pm
I think we’re good with what we have on the O-Line
July 9th, 2025 at 7:25 pm
Donovan Smith would be a smart addition for depth even if he’s not needed to replace Wirfs in week 1- as long as his asking price isn’t too absurd…
July 9th, 2025 at 7:34 pm
BucU Says:
July 9th, 2025 at 7:05 pm
You’re a dope. Check your own incompetence.
July 9th, 2025 at 7:36 pm
Stpetematt Says:
July 9th, 2025 at 7:25 pm
He’s done. I don’t think he even played last year. So, yeah, I think the asking price would be vet minimum. Not sure he’d be worth it at this point.
July 9th, 2025 at 7:37 pm
miken Says:
July 9th, 2025 at 5:09 pm
Apparently you didn’t keep up with free agency. He signed elsewhere, which is what led them to sign Charlie Heck.
July 9th, 2025 at 7:40 pm
firethecannons Says:
July 9th, 2025 at 4:57 pm
1-4 games is correct… meaning, it remains to be seen how the recovery goes. You’re not gonna get an exact number at this point… I’m surprised that isn’t clear to someone.
July 9th, 2025 at 7:43 pm
firethecannons Says:
July 9th, 2025 at 4:48 pm
Use your imagination. It doesn’t take much to imagine how it went down. There isn’t someone to blame. They didn’t think he needed surgery at the end of the season, but then it was re-injured in the offseason, and then it was clear he needed surgery. How is this difficult to understand?
July 9th, 2025 at 7:46 pm
Scott Says:
July 9th, 2025 at 6:40 pm
Really? We’re in big trouble because Brandon Walton isn’t with us anymore?
I feel as if the reaction to this situation is so overblown… maybe a xanax prescription for all the sky-is-falling people should be recommended.
July 9th, 2025 at 8:01 pm
Heck is not very good and has poor run blocking scores. Chukwuma doesn’t have the experience. Tyron Smith is as old as the hills but maybe he would sign?
July 9th, 2025 at 9:28 pm
Call Donovan Smith.asap.
July 9th, 2025 at 9:35 pm
FA
Doesn’t it depend on his classes? PUP or not?
July 9th, 2025 at 11:08 pm
miken Says:
“skule on the roster?”
.
.
Signed with the Vikings in the off-season.
July 9th, 2025 at 11:56 pm
This is not a time to panick. Old Pat doesn’t know the Bucs cross train all offensive linemen. On the surface, we don’t have anyone as good as Wirfs…but look deeper and we’ll be fine.
You never know. This is how gems are discovered.