Tristan Wirfs aims to reestablish Buccaneers' O-line as one of NFL's 'top units' after down year
Though they're reassembling, the Buccaneers' offensive linemen aren't treating 2026 as a reunion tour.
It's about redemption for Tristan Wirfs and Co. Last year, Tampa Bay was robbed of its excellent offensive line for most of the season due to an assortment of injuries affecting four-fifths of the unit. Wirfs wasn't available to start the season, Cody Mauch suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2, Luke Goedeke missed six weeks, and Ben Bredeson's campaign ended one month shy of the season's conclusion.
The Buccaneers' offense predictably suffered, especially with quarterback Baker Mayfield also dealing with injuries, and Tampa Bay failed to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Like Mayfield -- who is entering a contract year and has already promised his price will rise after this season -- Wirfs believes the Bucs linemen have a loud statement to make in 2026.
"That's definitely the goal to be one of the top units in the NFL," Wirfs said Wednesday, via the team's official site. "We want teams to turn on the tape and say, 'Those are a bunch of bad-ass guys that finish plays.' It's nice to have all of us back out there. We went through a pretty big shuffle throughout the whole season last year, but at the same time guys stepped up and came in and did their best and gave us everything they had. I think it's just a credit to our room. Guys come in and there's a standard we all want to uphold. We all want to play for each other. But, yeah, it's nice to have the whole gang back.
"The goal is always the Super Bowl; I think that's what it is for every team. But we ended with a pretty s----- taste in our mouth last year. I think everyone put in a lot of work. We've got a really good group of guys at the facility training. I think it's going to be fun."
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The offensive line's reassembly was delayed this summer when Wirfs suffered a hamstring injury during a conditioning run that occurred before the tackle had even taken a single snap. He missed nearly a month of preseason practice, inspiring new concerns that a repeat of 2025 might be coming.
No need to fret. Wirfs returned healthy and said he feels "great right now," returning in top-tier shape after spending the last month working with team trainers. Coach Todd Bowles believes his All-Pro tackle will be back to 100 percent soon, inserting the final -- and most important -- piece back into the offensive line puzzle.
Once that happens, Wirfs said, watch out.
"I know we want to move the line of scrimmage and I know we want to keep '6' (Mayfield) safe," said Wirfs. "If we do that, I think we're going to win some ball games. Let him go be the dawg that he is and then let our running backs eat. We're just trying to be great."