One of the most-celebrated -and weirdest- events on the Fourth of July is the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest that has been around for over a century, now. 

It's almost like the bad car wreck analogy: You know you shouldn't be looking/watching, but you simply can't turn away. Now, it doesn't come close to holding the negative connotation of the analogy – it's actually impressive to see what these people can do.

At the top of the mountain is 15-time champ, Joey Chestnut. Yes, you read that right. He's won the title 15 times in his career. According to ESPN, this man has eaten 1,152 hot dogs since 2005, which means he "has eaten 682.5 more hot dogs than any other eater" during that span.

1,152 hot dogs. And buns.



Simply wild. 

With all this being said, it got me thinking about which Tampa Bay Buccaneers players could possibly hang with this man in a hot dog eating contest. And, they have to do it within the parameters of the Nathan's contest, which are below, per Sporting News:

• Each competitor has 10 minutes to eat as many hot dogs as possible.
• Competitors receive one plate of five hot dogs and buns at a time.
• Though there was some confusion, Major League Eating told People in 2022 that ketchup and mustard are not permitted.
• Any non-alcoholic beverages are allowed, but only water is provided. If competitors bring their own beverages, they are limited to 13 cups.
• Competitors can separate the hot dogs from the buns but must eat an equal amount. For example, 49 hot dogs and 48 buns eaten equals a score of 48.
• Competitors are allowed to dunk the hot dog and bun in a cup for as many as five seconds.
• No utensils are allowed. Eaters are allowed to break up the hot dogs but must do so with their hands.
• Any eater who vomits during the competition is disqualified.
• The competitor with the most hot dogs and buns eaten within 10 minutes wins.

Three Buccaneers That Could Give Joey Chestnut a Run for His Money in a Hot Dog Eating Contest

Tristan Wirfs

Yea, so, naturally, the first player -or players- that come to mind in this situation is the guys who play in the trenches. 

So why not start with the elite of the elite in Wirfs?

The amount of food he can consume in a single day was detailed by his girlfriend, Meredith Sutton, back in 2020:

After diving into four scrambled eggs, “cheesy” hashbrowns and six pieces of bacon, Wirfs completes the most important meal of the day with a waffle, she posted to TikTok.For lunch, the 320-pound offensive lineman chowed down on two burgers, as well as containers of coleslaw and potato salad, which were not featured in the video. He also capped off the meal with “a lot of chocolate cake.As for an afternoon snack, Wirfs opted for four slices of bread, in addition to spinach and artichoke dip with chips. He then dined on a “whole meatlovers pizza,” also feasting on a “couple slices” of Sutton’s pizza.To call it a day, Wirfs enjoyed a dessert of chocolate cake and “some oreos and milk to top” things off. – The New York Post

Much like his transition from right tackle to left, one shouldn't doubt Wirfs' ability to challenge Chestnut in a hot dog eating contest. 

Wirfs should be able to immediately stonewall the giant lump of beef and dough that forms in his gut just like he does opposing pass rushers, thus potentially knocking Chestnut off the perch that is the Hot Dog Champ.

Baker Mayfield

Hey, size isn't everything in competitive eating. Have you seen some of the pros?



For starters, Chestnut is 6-foot-1, 229-pounds. Miki Sudo and Nick Wehry look like your typical civilians that stay in shape. Matt Stonie and Kobayashi are shorter than a 6-foot ladder.

Being a massive person isn't a prerequisite to becoming a competitive eater. There's certainly a method and strategy to fine-tuning the body, much like what a professional athlete does. Just in a different context, obviously. 

Even though he's 6-foot-1, 215-pounds, Mayfield is a fiery as they come. We all know that. His competitive spirit, alone, would play a big role in a hot dog eating contest. 

I'm sure that if Chestnut talked a big enough game, he could get the Bucs QB to step in and try to show him up. Knowing Mayfield, he wouldn't back down and would vomit before letting Chestnut run away with the victory.

Kyle Trask

This is simply because whatever Mayfield does, Trask has to do better. Even in fictitious, hypothetical situations such as this article.

Get ready, to eat, Kyle.

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Featured image via Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK