Buccaneers GM reveals interesting fact about Tristan Wirfs' ankle injury
Jason Licht hit a home run when he drafted Tristan Wirfs with the Buccaneers' 13th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Buccaneers have had a top-5 offensive line ever since that moment. The starting five got even better in 2021 and so did Wirfs. He was so good that he became the first […]
Jason Licht hit a home run when he drafted Tristan Wirfs with the Buccaneers' 13th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Buccaneers have had a top-5 offensive line ever since that moment. The starting five got even better in 2021 and so did Wirfs. He was so good that he became the first offensive lineman in franchise history to earn first-team All-Pro honors.
So it's easy to understand why both the Buccaneers and their fans fell into despair when Wirfs injured his ankle during the Wild Card matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. The former Iowa Hawkeye tried to come back in and play, but the pain was too much. He even gave up a sack while trying to tough it out.
Unsurprisingly, Wirfs missed the following Divisional Round matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, which turned out to be the Buccaneers' final game of the 2021-2022 season. Tom Brady was sacked three times during that game and those three sacks played a big role in the loss.
The Buccaneers and Bucs fans were all left wondering, 'what if' afterward. What if Wirfs didn't get hurt against the Eagles? Would the Bucs have found a way to beat the Rams? How far could this team have gone if he were healthy for the entirety of the postseason?
Well, according to Licht, there was a chance that Wirfs could've played if the Buccaneers didn't lose to the Rams. He said as much during his Tuesday media session at the NFL Combine.
"I think there would have been a chance, if we continued to play in the postseason, that he may have been able to play," said Licht.
That quote is probably more torturous for fans to read as opposed to being left with the thought of 'what if', like they were. If Tampa Bay didn't blow the game on that deep bomb from Matthew Stafford to Cooper Kupp, then who knows what Wirfs' status would've been for the following week against the San Francisco 49ers. Or in the Super Bowl, even.
But that's now in the past. What matters most is his status for the upcoming season. Fortunately, that is a lot more clear.
"We’re going to be very careful with him so that when he gets out there, he’s fully 100 percent," said Licht. "I’m just saying, I expect him to be ready for camp. It may be before that.”
Featured image via-Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
