Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs did not report for organized team activities (OTAs) earlier this week. Reports indicate Wirfs is skipping the voluntary portion of the offseason as he attempts to position himself for a contract extension. The two sides have yet to make desired progress toward a deal.
Wirfs is scheduled to play out the 2024 campaign under the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. The Buccaneers are slated to pay Wirfs a fully guaranteed sum of $18.6 million this season. Wirfs is understandably hoping to sign an extension that provides him with long-term security and a considerable raise in pay.
#Bucs OT Tristan Wirfs did not report to OTAs and doesn’t plan to in the immediate future, per source. The multi-year All-Pro seeks a long-term contract and does not want to risk injury. Sides have not made progress on a new deal. pic.twitter.com/efdZ7aKhv5
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) May 21, 2024
After beginning his career as a right tackle, Wirfs replaced Donovan Smith as the Buccaneers' left tackle ahead of the 2023 campaign. He made a flawless transition as a blindside protector, allowing just five pressures and two sacks all season long, according to Pro Football Focus. Wirfs earned an elite pass protection grade of 90.5. After making back-to-back Pro Bowl appearances as a right tackle in 2021 and 2022, Wirfs made his third consecutive trip to the NFL's all-star game in 2023.
Wirfs’ timing couldn’t be any better as the market for offensive tackles exploded in late April when the Detroit Lions signed Penei Sewell to a four-year extension worth $112 million. Sewell is now the highest-paid tackle in the NFL at $28 million per season. It's $3 million more per year than Laremy Tunsil, the previous highest-paid tackle, earns after he signed a three-year, $75 million extension in 2023.
Another deal that will impact Wirfs' negotiations is the one signed by New York Giants offensive tackle Andrew Thomas. Thomas inked a five-year extension worth $117.5 million with the Giants in 2023. Thomas is the third-highest-paid tackle in the league annually and his overall contract value is the second-richest in the NFL among all tackles, trailing just Trent Williams and his six-year, $138 million deal with the San Francisco 49ers.
With Tunsil and Thomas signing their deals approximately a calendar year ago, Wirfs' representation will likely target the Sewell deal in their negotiations. With one year remaining on Wirfs' contract, I expect him to eventually sign a four-year extension that keeps him under contract through the 2028 campaign. Discussions with Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht could remain intense all offseason long.
I can't find a good reason why Wirfs shouldn't be the highest-paid tackle in the league annually. He rightfully waited out similar-caliber players like Thomas and Sewell, who reset the market with their record-breaking extensions. After three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances coupled with a successful transition to left tackle, Wirfs is going to demand top-of-the-league money.
Wirfs could sign a four-year extension worth $118 million with more than $85 million in practical guarantees. Wirfs would earn $29.5 million per campaign via such a proposal, making him the highest-paid tackle in the league annually. Sewell's contract included $85 million in guarantees, so expect Wirfs to surpass that figure as well.
Wirfs, a two-time All-Pro selection, has established himself as one of a handful of elite tackles in the league. Expect the Buccaneers to reward him handsomely before training camp marks its arrival. Wirfs is going to be the highest-paid tackle in NFL history.
