The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs have agreed to a five-year, $140.63 million contract deal, making him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history, sources informed Adam Schefter on Thursday.
According to a source, a league-leading offensive lineman has never had a contract with a guaranteed sum as high as $88.24 million.
On Thursday, the Buccaneers made the four-year deal official. Though the Buccaneers have been tight-lipped about the exact amount, they have acknowledged that Wirfs got the biggest contract ever for an offensive lineman in NFL history.
Wirfs, a three-time Pro Bowler, was in the last year of his rookie deal and was set to play under a fifth-year option for $18.24 million this season. He will now be bound to Tampa Bay until 2029 by contract.
In April, he earned $28.1 million, which is more than Penei Sewell of the Detroit Lions, who earned $28 million annually.
Wirfs, 25, showed up for June’s mandated minicamp but opted not to participate due to concerns about potential harm. As a preventive measure, while the parties negotiated on the new contract, he was then excluded from team-padded practice times. Earlier this week, Bowles’ coach said that the teams were talking in “good faith.”
Wirfs expressed his gratitude to his teammates on Monday, stating, “Baker Mayfield has had my back, everyone has had my back this whole time.” He had been supported throughout the bargaining process. Nowhere is there animosity. But I said, “I’ve got to be out here with the guys, I’ve got to do something.”
He stated that Sewell and Christian Darrisaw, an offensive lineman with the Minnesota Vikings, made arrangements that accelerated the process.
Also on Thursday, star outside linebacker YaYa Diaby was carried off the field during training camp exercise with what Coach Todd Bowles described as a left ankle injury.
“His ankle is injured.”That’s the current state of knowledge,” Bowles said. “We’ll see what the prognosis is as we go forward and it takes some more tests.”
Unfortunately, the injury happened during the last two-minute exercise of practice. As the cart approached the center of the field, many teammates kneeled down.
“We’ll wait for the findings to come in right now,” Diaby told Bowles. We will wait for further information before declaring a loss since we are optimistic. His camp, nevertheless, is fantastic. My best wishes go out to him since he’s an excellent player.
In addition to the three-year, $100 million contract that the Buccaneers inked with Mayfield in March, they have handed out two $110 million agreements this offseason. Additionally, wide receiver Mike Evans was signed to a two-year, $41 million deal, while defensive back Antoine Winfield Jr. became the NFL’s highest-paid player with a four-year, $84.1 million deal.
Wirfs was named to the All-Pro first team in 2021 and the second team the following year. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 as the first overall choice out of Iowa.
“It’s pretty surreal to think about it,” Wirfs remarked when asked to reflect on the last four years. After my meetings are over, I can finally see my kid, and I feel like a whole new person. It’s an insane sensation. You look back and wonder, “Where did those four years fly?” To this day, I can still see myself in the huddle with Tom Brady during our first campout here. Presently, it’s Robert Hainsey, ‘Schooly’ Justin Skule, Luke Goedeke, Baker Mayfield, and my closest pals in the world. The trip has been remarkable. Wow, there’s a lot of exciting stuff yet to come!
