Booger McFarland Weighs In On Tristan Wirfs’ Surgery
July 15th, 2025
Insight into Tristan Wirfs’ surgery.
The “Bucs” made a mistake. But who specifically erred is unclear.
That conclusion came from former Bucs defensive tackle and ESPN football analyst Booger McFarland. Recently, McFarland offered his take on Bucs All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs having to undergo surgery on his right knee after setbacks in his rehab.
Wirfs may miss games. If he is placed on the regular season PUP list (deadline is August 30), Wirfs will be out a minimum of four games.
“Just to take the fans kind of behind the scenes a little bit, usually when the season is over, you go meet with the head trainer,” Booger explained. “You guys make a decision, ‘Hey, are we going to rest it, or are we going to go ahead and go under the knife and get this thing done?’
“It sounds like they tried to rest it and see if it will respond and he kind of aggravated it during the offseason.”
A lot of Bucs fans are peeved, wondering why the Bucs or Wirfs didn’t make the surgery decision much sooner to avoid possibly missing games. Joe has to believe the Bucs and Wirfs were following the advice of the Bucs’ medical team and training staff.
The Bucs (and each NFL team) pays these guys handsomely for medical advice and guidance. Joe doesn’t expect, after the Bucs medical staff advised Wirfs that specific rehab would likely avoid surgery, that the Bucs would react and say, “Eff this, you’re crazy! We’re bringing in Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine and Dr. Howard.”
The keyword for Joe is “setbacks.” If Wirfs didn’t have these setbacks, there likely wouldn’t be concern about how many games he may miss.
“The Bucs sound like they may have made a mistake, as far as when and if to do this surgery on Tristan Wirfs,” Booger said.
Did Booger mean the medical staff or Bucs’ shot-callers? Again, if the Bucs don’t trust their medical staff, then why are they on the payroll?
Joe just thinks it is as simple as no one, including Wirfs, expected “setbacks” and that is what likely motivated Wirfs to have surgery and get it over with.
For duty and humanity!
July 15th, 2025 at 7:07 am
No matter who’s responsible, it’s done. Coulda, shoulda, woulda is irrelevant. How the rest of the team reacts is what’s important.
July 15th, 2025 at 7:28 am
Lord have MRSA!
Joe, do we have the same training staff that was here for Schiano and the MRSA debacle? Carl Nicks and Lawrence Tynes remember.
Is this the same training staff that was here when GMC got drafted and tore both biceps in his first two years?
It feels like the Buccaneers have either worse injury luck, or the training staff may not have it all under control to the levels of their counterparts across the NFL.
I hope Wirfs makes a sled recovery and can play after week 4.
July 15th, 2025 at 7:38 am
I highly doubt there was a mistake made. Who knows what the conversation was at the end of the season? Just a guess, but I’ll bet that Wirfs told the staff that surgery is the absolute last option, and the medical staff told him to try this first. If it doesn’t get better, we’ll have to do surgery by a certain date.
July 15th, 2025 at 7:44 am
Doesn’t make any sense not doing a minor scope after the season. At the very least it should’ve been done when he couldn’t hit the field for OTA’s. To make matters worse, they even waited after mini camp when he was wearing a huge brace, and couldn’t suit up. Did the Bucs drop the ball, or was it Wirfs who had the final say, and didn’t want surgery? maybe we’ll get some answers when camp opens in a week. Bottom line, it is what it is now, and second guessing decosions made won’t change the fact Wirfs will miss some time. My hope is this isn’t news all season. We need a healty Wirfs.
July 15th, 2025 at 8:00 am
Setbacks is the key word. Sounds like Tristan was trying everything else so that surgery was the last resort. Nothing wrong with that, as it is up to him and his doctors.
July 15th, 2025 at 8:01 am
How long is the recovery?
July 15th, 2025 at 8:14 am
The plan for Wirfs was likely to his decision ultimately. Maybe Wirfs was influenced by Jenson’s last season? I don’t know. It does seem like Wirfs was on the right path during the offseason. When the setback occurred, maybe he and the medical staff should have acted more quickly, but ultimately it’s Wirf’s decision.
July 15th, 2025 at 8:19 am
I understand surgery in the nfl are common place but when there’s just as good a chance it gets better avoiding the knife you go that route, unfortunately something happened that is unknown to us that caused a setback. Unfortunate but ishhh happens..
July 15th, 2025 at 8:21 am
So Wirfs is going to take 4-6 weeks to recover from the surgery and won’t be able to workout during this time… No lifting (legs). No running/sprinting. No quickness/speed drills. No endurance training. No preseason camp.
It will take another 4-6 weeks for him to get back into football shape.
Not good.
July 15th, 2025 at 8:22 am
At this point it doesn’t even matter, let’s just not bank on a replacing him with a guy like Heck who had a bout with plantar faciitis last offseason that led to him being released.
July 15th, 2025 at 8:33 am
Jude
Might have to subtract some points for stating a fact. Great attempt though at bringing some reason to the topic. “as it is up to him and his doctors.”
Medical decisions are always complicated. My wife hobbled for several years on a gimpy knee before getting it replaced this year. Happily her surgeon is not knife happy. Knee surgeries are complicated and can be risky procedures and shouldn’t be done willy nilly.
So what were the decisions at Booger’s reported “end of season” meeting with the trainers? Wait with a (insert your own guess here) 50-50 or better or worse chance of a genuine need.
What was the motivation to NOT do the surgery earlier. DUH because from a simple human health proposition LESS surgery is ALWAYS better. From an NFL perspective I get that sometimes these guys tolerate surgeries for professional reasons that normal people would not have done. STILL it should be THEIR call. It’s HIS body and HIS life.
Does anybody think Tristan should refund the Bucs money if he looked at say a 50-50 decision and decided in favor of his health instead of the team.
And for heaven’s sake…he’s not going to miss the first half of the season and the sky is NOT FALLING!!!
July 15th, 2025 at 8:40 am
Hey Joe — you wrote the same story about Booger last week. Take a day off and lay off the bourbon fatso. Stop wasting our time.
July 15th, 2025 at 8:53 am
I doubt any “mistake” was made by the Bucs (or Wirfs). They have access to great doctors and trainers (as does Wirfs), and I’m sure they made the best decision based upon what they were told.
And I agree with what you said just above @stpetebucsfan.
July 15th, 2025 at 8:53 am
stpetebucsfan – I am happy your wife is doing well now and fully get your comment. I like doctors that are not knife happy right off the bat unless it is an emergency situation.
Not knowing what Tristan doctors were finding out on the MRIs and other tests, they agreed to go on the side of rehab first, concluding setbacks from it. And there are still HIPAA Laws, so we won’t know everything unless he has a full conversation about it. Don’t listen to me though, I am one afraid to go under anesthesia for anything, lol.
Hoping the best for Tristan. His health comes first.
July 15th, 2025 at 9:00 am
Jude
Glad to know there is someone else who has not lost their humanity.
“Hoping the best for Tristan. His health comes first.”
AMEN!
According to AI while arthroscopic knee surgery is generally considered safe, it does carry some risks, though complications are rare. Potential risks include infection, blood clots, nerve or tissue damage, and stiffness or pain. Post-operative swelling and limited mobility are also common, but usually resolve with time and proper care.
Those RISKS most of which are not life threatening can actually be season enders. Things like MRSA and simple staph infections can complicate and really slow the healing process.
July 15th, 2025 at 9:14 am
so let him sit 4 games…maybe he exceeds expectations and is back for philly in week 4…
let’s just hope the true return date isn’t after the bye week…or they haven’t thrown the wild new out there yet – that he’s out for the season 🙁
July 15th, 2025 at 9:20 am
@Bucccnasty,
100%. I have a rotator cuff injury and tendinopathy and you always start with physical therapy and anti-inflammatory meds. If that doesn’t work, then on to a steroid injection. If that doesn’t work, the knife. Especially with a joint, you want to avoid surgery if possible. The less invasive the better.
July 15th, 2025 at 9:30 am
Joe fully believes the opposite. If one doesn’t find out how and why things occur, then someone is setting themselves up for more mistakes and errors in the future.
It is highly relevant.
July 15th, 2025 at 9:30 am
The knife should be the last option.
July 15th, 2025 at 9:31 am
What’s the injury? What was cleaned up?
Unless the Bucs release specifics about what Wirfs went under the knife for — and they will never do that — no telling. Could be no games, could be many games.
July 15th, 2025 at 9:53 am
These are professional athletes who get paid far too much. I stopped treating them like regular people a long time ago. They chose this profession knowing full well it would put them under the microscope and subject them to intense scrutiny. In return, they’re paid millions to play a game. With that kind of compensation comes a responsibility: do everything in your power to stay available and perform.
If you’re no longer willing or able to meet those expectations, then maybe it’s time to retire. And if you want to lean on the “I’m only human” excuse, go get a regular job like everyone else. This is the life you signed up for. No one forced you into it.
Fans pour time, money, and emotion into this. They expect effort, discipline, and accountability—especially when athletes are making more in a week than most people make in a lifetime. Yes, everyone has struggles, but when you’re getting paid that much, the bar is higher. If you can’t handle the heat, step aside and let someone else take the spot.
July 15th, 2025 at 10:10 am
No need to pass the buck on this. We’ve suspected the Bucs training group to be from a Barnum and Bailey tent for years now, given the frequency of non-contact soft tissue injuries and other off the ball sprains and strains.
“Tristan, we’re gonna do rest and rehab.” Who was prescribing the exact mix of those, what were the specific conditions around “rest” and what were the rehab exercises? Who was helping Tristan ensure he followed the protocols perfectly?
Doing things the same way and expecting different results is the definition of insanity.
Ask Todd.
July 15th, 2025 at 10:22 am
Aqualung
Do you suppose typing “WE” in your posts with the WE agreeing with your position is actually making a point besides the fact you exaggerate?
July 15th, 2025 at 10:49 am
Great insight, Booger. So who’s going to win the 2024 election?
July 15th, 2025 at 11:01 am
Hey muffin! You must not read much JBF and read only what you want. It’s ok, feel good!
July 15th, 2025 at 12:04 pm
stpetebucsfan
Stop listening to AI on the internet (which by the way is not AI no matter what people feed you, it is advanced data parsing and compilation). But I digress. His procedure is about as common as it gets and rarely has any issues. Oral surgery is on par risk wise. As a matter of fact, for non athletes, a compete knee replacement is common place and rarely has complications, just as complete hip replacements.
Just simple facts. In the end this was his call and he probably did not want to do the surgery. Not a thing wrong with it. But acting like this is a big deal and throwing moral platitudes around is a stretch.
July 15th, 2025 at 12:19 pm
This is akin to planing a vacation and scheduling the return flight to the night before you have to work.( No buffer)
July 15th, 2025 at 12:28 pm
Hey Josh, buddy…. Very Well Said.
Funny how some run from it (if that’s a reality) and others run at it (trying to make it a reality)
Something about “Quality of Life”
It still Begs the question, “is there such a thing as quality of life being Just too Good”? And who would ask that question? A rich man or a poor man?
July 15th, 2025 at 12:38 pm
Steady doses of TB-500, BCP 157, IGF-1 LR3, and some HGH and his recovery time will be cut in half if not more.
#TRISTAN STRONG
July 15th, 2025 at 12:42 pm
Nobody is saying when he definitively will be back. Because you never know with surgeries. Lets all hope he is back by at least the 3rd or 4th game of the season.
Tristin is not one to linger or malaise. He will be up and ready in a jiffy.
July 15th, 2025 at 12:48 pm
Meanwhile, I hope Jason is conducting a review of the individuals involved with the error, the steps leading to the now obviously flawed decision, and answers the questions we are curious about.
July 15th, 2025 at 1:09 pm
There is no ‘mistake’, ‘error’ or ‘blame’ involved here – even though most fans (and Booger) apparently want to believe that there is…..
The MRIs were not showing the full extent of the damage. Its literally as simple as that.
July 15th, 2025 at 1:26 pm
Listen, we all know. The full extent of the damage isn’t always revealed in an image. That’s why you go ahead and do the surgery………… I will assure you that team physicians are as much or more of a popularity / political contest than they are the absolute best qualified physician……….. which is a huge mistake league wide when you look at the dollars that are on the table for the players, the organization and the fans………. This was a dumb ass decision , simple as that !! What makes it an even dumber ass decision is , it clearly wasn’t right four weeks ago and there’s just no way that that juncture it’s going to be right for the season so the surgery should’ve been done even after the first screwup at the very least three weeks ago.
July 15th, 2025 at 2:50 pm
@John Dixon
Thanks for your thoughtful reply and I take your point…somewhat.
First no need to worry about digressing on AI I agree completely. I joke I think so far it’s more Artificial than Intelligent. But I don’t want to be the old dude who rejects all new technology. I do agree with you though about the minaming of intelligence from simple super sifting on super computers with incredible programs. They aren’t thinking they are collating and producing stats.
And if you wish to think of me as a drama mama I can accept that as well.
However it’s nowhere near as simply as you suggest.
Currently the NIH reports approximately 1.32% of all inpatient surgeries result in death. Let’s just round off to 1 in a hundred. Let me quickly concede that many of those were people who probably went into the surgery in poor health.
Arthroscopy in considered very safe but again stuff happens even if only occassionally. This is why Orthopedic surgeons do not counsel their patients to have surgery unless it’s absolutely required due to function or pain.
Bottom line. My dad was a bookie so I respect odds. I once turned down Statins for cholesterol asking what % of stroke victims had high Cholessterol and how high for how long. He took my point and said true but I ask patients if I had a gun with one round in it would you take the chance on hitting the empty.
Then there is what damage we’re discussing. If eg Wirfs got MRSA..staph or some other non lethal complication he might miss the entire season. I’m not suggesting these things are life and death for young healthy guys. Although accidents do happen. The probability of other side effects however does increase. Those are just facts.
So I think where we disagree is perhaps the AMOUNT of risk a professional athlete should be willing to absorb. How much do they OWE us because they get paid millions?
University Studies conducted in 21 showed that The University researchers determined that “among this historical cohort of former NFL players, over 90% reported sustaining at least one musculoskeletal injury during their professional careers. Respondents self-reported that many of these injuries required surgery, resulted in their professional playing careers prematurely ending, and STILL AFFECTED THEM.”
“The additional findings highlight the large percentages of NFL players reporting surgery (60.7%), a premature end to their professional football career (40.3%), and STILL BEING AFFECTED BY INJURY (74.8%), further augment the concern about the effects from musculoskeletal injuries on overall functioning across the lifespan,” commented the investigators.”
I’m not for banning violent sports. I am for some careful supervision when it’s CLEAR life long damage is being done to folks.
I’ve seen “pansey’ hurled around here, implications of lack of gratitude for making millions and not sacrificing more of their health as in Ali Marpet retiring early because he saw what carrying 75 lbs of extra weight does to your health!!
And that was at 28 it gets worse with age.
I’m the weird one here however. I value health more than athletic success or money especially long term health. Maybe because this very month I celebrate hitting my life expectancy!!! Everyday from here on out I’ve had more time than the average person and so I’m playing with house money!!!
July 15th, 2025 at 3:17 pm
Joe would also add “financial.”
Still, if a team doesn’t trust it’s medical staff, why even have them? So of course if a team trusts its medical staff, it likely will (should) listen or even follow their counsel.