Sneaky detail behind Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tristan Wirfs Pro Bowl nods underscores major respect from the NFL
The Bucs are having a tough season, but the NFL is obviously aware of what Wirfs and Winfield Jr. have done on the field.
It’s an annual tradition: Fans, media, players, and everyone in between denounce the Pro Bowl as a “popularity contest” after the results come.
As predictable as it is, most arguments are typically correct. There are plenty of occasions when players get in simply based on their name, and a key reason is that 1/3 of the final tally comes from fan voting.
That can swing things, especially considering how many fans participate – it definitely outweighs the capped number of coaches and players. However, there’s plenty of hope after seeing what happened with Tampa Bay Buccaneers stars Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tristan Wirfs.
Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tristan Wirfs are Pro Bowlers despite zero Buccaneers players in the top fan voting results
It didn’t look very promising for the Buccaneers in general when some of the fan-voting results came out on Monday. The NFL released the top-10 guys at every position, and there wasn’t a single Bucs player to be seen.
It makes it all the more impressive to see Winfield Jr. and Wirfs make the Pro Bowl after adding this into the equation, and it also gives a sense of comfort knowing that the fan voting aspect doesn’t skew things as much as it seems.
Wirfs’ nod includes a resume with four missed games
That’s how good he’s been when healthy. He hasn’t been his full self in pass protection, but he’s been better than ever in the run game, and it’s scary to think just how good he can be if he becomes consistently elite in both pass pro and on the ground.
It’s fair to say his improvement in the run game is what gave him the nod over guys like Andrew Thomas and Laremy Tunsil. Both players have been better in pass pro than Wirfs, but they haven’t been anywhere near as effective as him when trying to open up holes for their respective backs (and quarterbacks, considering each team’s signal-caller).
It’ll be interesting to see how much this carries over once he’s fully healthy in 2026.
Winfield Jr. has had a silent, but deadly, year
For some reason, it seems like Winfield Jr. has had a quiet season, but it’s the opposite when looking back on what he’s done in 2025.
He’s made plenty of impact plays, starting in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons. Remember his pass break-up near the goal line that would’ve been a walk-in touchdown to give the Falcons the lead? He won that game for the Bucs by making that play. There’s also his strip sack on third down against the New York Jets and several other plays to hang his hat on.
Per Buccaneers Communications, Winfield Jr. is the only defensive back and just one of three players overall with 75+ tackles, multiple interceptions, a forced fumble, and fumble recovery through Week 16. His overall stats for the 2025 season include 83 tackles, two interceptions, seven pass break-ups, 1.0 sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery, four tackles for loss, and four QB hits.
Looking forward for both players
The Bucs could be facing some big offseason questions if they drop these last two games, but Wirfs and Winfield Jr. won’t be included in those conversations.
They’re both foundational players whose best football is still ahead of them. They should go down as some of the best and longest-tenured Bucs of all-time when it’s all said and done.
