Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tackle to Miss Time

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers avoided catastrophe with their elite young offensive lineman, but he'll still be on the shelf for at least a little while. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, right tackle Tristan Wirfs is expected to miss 3-4 weeks with an ankle injury suffered during overtime of the team's 23-17 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

Source: #Bucs OT Tristan Wirfs is expected to miss 3-4 weeks because of his ankle injury. The knee is fine. Considering how it looked, a pretty good outcome for the standout O-lineman.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 28, 2022

Wirfs' plant leg was landed on by a leaping Browns defender and he collapsed in apparent agony. He was down on the field for an extended period before being assisted onto a cart and rushed to the locker room.

Despite the disquieting scene, good news began to trickle out late yesterday afternoon that Wirfs' injury was not as gruesome as initially feared. Initial X-rays came back negative, and further tests have evidently revealed that Wirfs dodged major damage.

Wirfs has been arguably the lone bright spot on a deeply troubled Bucs offense. The team ranks 27th in scoring this year due in large part to a league-worst rushing attack. His unavailability will likely hinder any chance the team has at a quick turnaround; Wirfs' 87.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus this season is easily the best of any starting offensive lineman on the team.

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