Avoiding minicamp’s a sign Tristan Wirfs is wise beyond his years
TAMPA — Practice ended 25 minutes ago, and most of the players have found sanctuary indoors. Utility carts have removed all the equipment from the fields as rain clouds begin to gather south of the Bucs’ training facility.
Meanwhile, a solitary player is running 40-yard sprints under the watchful eye of a training staff member. The player is shirtless, massive and moving with ease. From goal line to near midfield, he races a clock that exists only in his head.
This is Tristan Wirfs back at work.
This is the Bucs back in contention.
They go hand-in-hand, of course. The Bucs have little chance of winning the NFC South again if Wirfs is not on the field for most of the offensive snaps. Which is why you should be heartened that he showed up for the beginning of a three-day mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. And why you should be grateful the Bucs are not freaking out because Wirfs has decided to skip the organized portion of workouts.
While his teammates went through various position drills and red zone scrimmages, Wirfs stood off to the side in a jersey and shorts. It wasn’t until the final horn sounded that Wirfs traded his sneakers for cleats and began his one-man workout.
Technically, this might be considered a form of protest. Wirfs is not going to practice until he gets a multi-year deal to replace his one-year, $18.2 million salary. Realistically, it is a smart business move to protect his potential earnings.
No one doubts that Wirfs, 25, will be on the field and ready to play when the Bucs open the season Sept. 8 against Washington. And the Bucs seem amenable to giving him one of the largest contracts — if not the largest — ever for an offensive lineman.
But until he’s got that guaranteed money in hand, Wirfs is not going to risk a career-altering injury during mid-summer workouts.
If you think that’s a farfetched worry, then you probably weren’t around for the second day of training camp in 2022 when a defensive lineman fell on Ryan Jensen’s left knee and effectively ended his career.
And you may not recall, a year later, when receiver Russell Gage blew out his right knee without ever being touched during a joint training camp session with the Jets.
Or back in 2020 when running back T.J. Logan was lost for the season when he was dragged down during what was supposed to be a non-tackling session midway through training camp.
Freak injuries happen all the time on the practice field, and it would be reckless for Wirfs to take that gamble until he has locked up a contract with likely $60 million or more in guaranteed money.
You might be tempted to compare this situation to last summer when linebacker Devin White reportedly asked for a trade ahead of minicamp because he was unhappy the Bucs were not enthusiastic about offering him a multiyear deal.
The two situations, however, are not remotely similar.
White had a wildly inflated opinion of his worth — reportedly seeking a contract similar to the five-year, $100 million Roquan Smith got in Baltimore — and the Bucs were not prepared to invest any additional money without seeing how he performed in 2023. Tampa Bay had taken similar stances with Jameis Winston, O.J. Howard and Vernon Hargreaves when they reached the end of their initial contracts, and all eventually left without a new deal.
White ended up losing his starting job late last year and signed a one-year, $7.5 million contract with Philadelphia.
Wirfs, on the other hand, is a franchise cornerstone and will be compensated accordingly. Just like Mike Evans and Vita Vea were at the end of their initial contracts.
Minicamp has its value, particularly for rookies and new additions to a roster, but it’s not make-or-break for a player such as Wirfs. As long as he stays in shape, and he certainly appeared to be on Tuesday, he’ll have no problem adjusting to Liam Coen’s new offensive system in the fall.
Thirty minutes after his teammates had left the field, Wirfs finished his personal workout and headed to the back porch of the AdventHealth Training Center. The door was locked and Wirfs had to wait briefly for someone to let him in the facility.
If necessary, the Bucs will leave the door open for Wirfs for as long as this takes.
John Romano can be reached at jromano@tampabay.com. Follow @romano_tbtimes.
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