Bucs All-Pro RT Suffers Leg Injury In Week 12 Loss
There wasn’t much that went right for the Bucs in their 23-17 overtime loss to the Browns on Sunday afternoon. The execution was bad, the play calling was bad and the in-game management was bad. Perhaps even worse than the embarrassing loss was the potential loss of All-Pro right tackle Tristan Wirfs.
Late in overtime, Wirfs was injured on a play where Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah tried to leap over the blocking Ke’Shawn Vaughn, who threw him to the ground. Owusu-Koamora landed on Wirfs left leg awkwardly, causing the big right tackle to immediately fall to the ground. The 2021 All-Pro had to be carted off the field.
During his postgame press conference, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles had no update on the severity of Wirfs’ injury.
“Nothing yet. I just know it’s a leg injury and they carted him off,” Bowles said. “I haven’t had a chance yet to go inside.”
Bucs Don’t Have Many Options Available To Replace Wirfs
If Wirfs is lost for the season or even an extended period of time, it leaves the Bucs in a precarious position. Wirfs has been playing at a All-Pro level again in 2022 and is one of the best right tackles in the NFL.
Josh Wells will likely take over at right tackle in Wirfs’ absence. Wells stepped in for Wirfs last year when he was injured in the playoffs, but struggled mightily as he is a more natural left tackle. He was also dealing with injuries himself at the time.
The Bucs could look to bring back Fred Johnson, who they parted ways with earlier this month. He is now with the Eagles on their practice squad, but he was with the team through camp and was on the active roster until his release.
The Bucs don’t have anyone else on the roster with right tackle experience, as Brandon Walton projects better as a left tackle. Practice squad player Justin Skule had nine starts in 2019 but is strictly a left tackle, while Dylan Cook, the former college quarterback, is a developmental type player.
Whoever the next man up is for the Bucs, they’ll play a significant role as this team looks to right the ship and somehow make a playoff push.
“It’s awful,” quarterback Tom Brady said after the game. “It’s awful for us. It’s awful for [Wirfs]. He’s a great player for us. Other guy is in, and we’ll have to d a good job. But it’s hard to replace him.”
Is There Reason To Be Optimistic About Wirfs’ Timetable?
As bad as the injury looked and as tough as it was to see Wirfs carted off, there may be some optimism for Tampa Bay regarding the severity of his injury. While Bowles didn’t have an update during his postgame press conference, Tampa media saw Wirfs in the locker room after the game. He walked around, showered and had a boot on his left foot only as he left the locker room, Fox Sports’ Greg Auman reported.
ESPN’s Jenna Laine also tweeted that “several” Bucs players have spoken with Wirfs, who appeared to be in good spirits.
Bowles will surely have more information about Wirfs’ leg and a potential timetable when he meets with the media for his Monday press conference.
