NFL Trade Rumors: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sign Tackle Tristan Wirfs to Shocking Extension

The Tampa Buccaneers have landed a very big fish. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Bucs have reached an agreement with three-time Pro Bowl tackle Tristan Wirfs on a record-breaking five-year, $140.63 million extension.

Sources: Buccaneers and three-time Pro-Bowl OT Tristan Wirfs reached agreement on a five-year, $140.63 million contract extension that now makes him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history. Wirfs was in the final year of a contract scheduled to pay him $18.24 million… pic.twitter.com/J6LsFEB9Of
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 1, 2024

Wirfs joined the Bucs as the 13th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft and immediately inherited right tackle duties. He was a key cog on a dominant two-year run in which the Bucs won Super Bowl LV and set franchise-records for points scored in consecutive seasons, averaging an amazing 30.4 points per game. He maintained his quality play even while switching to the blindside in 2024, earning an 81.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus for his efforts.

Rumors were swirling earlier in the week that the Bucs and Wirfs were far apart in their negotiations, so today's news comes as a big surprise. Still only 25 years old, Wirfs should dominate for the duration of his contract, which will keep him with the Bucs through the 2029 season. They paid a pretty penny to do it: The $28.126 million annual average on the deal makes him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history.

Wirfs is a quality player and a genuinely baffling athlete (He ran a 4.85 40-yard dash and logged a 36.5" vertical jump at the 2020 NFL Combine), but the Bucs have to be careful not to over-invest in their current roster. Their offense has some very glaring holes: They've finished dead last in rushing yards and rushing yards per attempt in consecutive years, all while averaging a substandard 19.44 points per game.

The weakness of the NFC South has allowed the Bucs to remain a playoff team through that offensive drought, but that won't last forever. For the Bucs to become a genuine contender, they'll need to do a lot better, including on the offensive line. Securing Wirfs as a building block is a good start.