The State Of Charlie Heck Address
August 21st, 2025
Week 1 starting left tackle Charlie Heck.
So the guy handed the keys to the Buccaneers’ left tackle job for at least a couple of games has very little NFL experience at the position.
Joe hasn’t researched all the snap counts on Charlie Heck, but CBS says it’s less than 100 snaps at left tackle, with 1,000-plus at right tackle.
The 28-year-old journeyman will temporarily replace Bucs legend Tristan Wirfs, who is recovering from knee surgery.
Heck got through training camp and two preseason games healthy. That’s huge. And while he made some fans wince at times, Joe thinks Heck looks capable and the Bucs are about to find out if he is.
Joe asked Todd Bowles today to assess Heck’s summer and what he learned about the veteran.
“He’s learned a lot,” Bowles said of Heck. “You know, he’s gotten a lot of experience. He’s going to go against a Pro Bowl edge rusher every week, including the practice that he’s in. He’s a competitor and he’s tough. He’s got some technical things to work out: he’s got to stay low because of his height. But he’s done some very good things for us as well. Right now, going into Week 1, he’ll be our starter. You know, we believe in him and we’ll work with him. and we’ll go from there.”
Bowles sounded like a guy who knows 6-foot-8 Heck is a serviceable backup but not more, not yet.
Joe and fellow Bucs fans had dreams that Heck would look like a solid starter this summer and Bowles would have said something today like, “Charlie can start for a lot of teams in this league and he’s been a very pleasant surprise. He fits right in.” But that’s not the situation.
Heck is a bit of a wild card. Nobody knows how well he can hold up for 60 minutes.
Hang in there, Charlie. Make the most of this opportunity.
August 21st, 2025 at 6:59 pm
The bad news is we’re going to be down to our 2nd string tackle against Atlanta. The good news is they’ll be down to their 3rd string tackle against us.
August 21st, 2025 at 7:19 pm
Skule signed for roughly the same money we paid Heck, did he just not want to be here anymore?
August 21st, 2025 at 7:44 pm
both teams blind side tackles too
August 21st, 2025 at 7:45 pm
thought we’d never forget his horrible game i guess beej haha
August 21st, 2025 at 7:48 pm
RUN the ball, add a TE to that side. Atlanta has a rookie DE, It’s a best case scenario if Wirfs can’t go.
We have to WIN this game, it will set the tone for the year! We don’t want to leave Atlanta with that team thinking they have a snowballs chance in Georgia that they have our number.
August 21st, 2025 at 7:50 pm
I would have preferred Skule, given that he signed for very little more. But Heck has been adequate in practice and preseason games, for a backup thrown into the fire. My panic level for LT has dropped from 9/10 to 4/10. Hopefully Wirfs is back soon at 100%
August 21st, 2025 at 7:58 pm
Heck looks like an editorial newspaper cartoon of some kind. No offense to the guy.
August 21st, 2025 at 7:59 pm
Licht screwed up big time. No excuses. It’s his job to make sure a) Wirfs doesn’t, out of the effn blue, require knee surgery on the eve of training camp and b) a quality left tackle is on the roster to back up Wirfs at all times in order to protect our franchise QB and this team.
It’s irresponsible to have missed (or otherwise not addressed) a torn ligament on the knee of your starting left tackle for an entire offseason leading up to training camp. If Heck can’t cut it for the first few weeks make sure you blame Licht because Heck had no business being in that position to begin with.
August 21st, 2025 at 8:32 pm
Beeej. He could have resigned with the Bucs but at the time it looked like he would not be getting any playing time. The Viking Tackle will be out for half the season so he knew if he went there he’d get to start some games and prove himself a NFL caliber starter. It had nothing to do with money or not liking it here. He just wants to start somewhere and get that bag.
August 21st, 2025 at 8:40 pm
Licht had the chance to sign a real LT and chose not to. Hopefully Heck can hold his own against Atl and Hou. I agree that he is going to need help and I would be surprised if the Bucs try to run behind him. Luckily Baker has a fast release and is mobile. Just hope Wirfs comes back in week three.
August 21st, 2025 at 8:43 pm
Stanglassman. Same can be said for Hainsey. You’d have to float double, triple the money or more to a guy to get him to stick with the team as a backup versus finally getting his shot to start, opening the door potentially to a big payday down the road.
August 21st, 2025 at 8:49 pm
buc4evr: “Licht had the chance to sign a real LT and chose not to.”
Who, exactly? Keeping in mind, of course that whoever that mythical guy is would know that he’d be riding the pine after a game or two for the rest of the season. Gotta offer a potential starter a ton of money to become a known, eventual backup. It’s not career suicide but close compered to a solid starting role that could last the whole season.
Sorry, bro, but that mythical scenario in your head just doesn’t play.
August 21st, 2025 at 8:58 pm
Unlike reporters, who seem to be avoiding Charlie Heck or ignoring him completely, I’ve been watching him every single play – at least during preseason games, which re the only times I get to see him.
He’s no Wirfs but he isn’t a scrub, either. I’d say that at worst, his play at left tackle is about as good as Ben Bredeson’s at left guard. Not wincingly horrible, not close to top 10. Probably both are slightly below average.
Anyone expecting a backup to be starter quality – especially at the most coveted, difficult offensive line position, is delusional. He’s an adequate placeholder that won’t kill the team and I expect to be far better than Skule was in his first game last season. He won’t hurt them in the run game at all. Of that, I’m pretty sure, so expect runs to the left and right to be just as successful.
August 21st, 2025 at 9:20 pm
Wirfs & Godwin to be removed from the PUP and placed on the 53 man roster.
August 21st, 2025 at 9:44 pm
He looks like the enterprise car rental agent you find at the airport of any flyover city.