It’s been a roller coaster season for Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After opening the season as the heavy favorites to win the NFC South, the Bucs find themselves not only hanging on to hope for their fifth consecutive division crown, but also a postseason berth.
This past weekend, the Buccaneers dropped a crucial matchup to their division rival, the Carolina Panthers, losing sole possession of first place in the process. The Bucs can still secure a playoff berth by winning their two remaining regular-season games. While the team has struggled with consistency and injuries all season, one player on the offensive line continued to shine through the adversity, securing a Pro Bowl selection in the process.
Baker Mayfield Unsurprised by Teammate’s Pro Bowl Selection
One of the most gifted and consistent players at his position in the entire NFL is Tampa Bay Buccaneers tackle Tristan Wirfs. The 26-year-old lineman has been a force throughout his career ever since he was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Thanks to this level of play, the announcement that he was chosen to this year’s Pro Bowl team was not much of a surprise.
However, what makes it even more impressive is the fact that he was dealing with injuries to start the year. That being said, Mayfield explained to the media on Tuesday that even though Wirfs was injured, he was not the least bit surprised to see him selected.
“It’s Tristan Wirfs, the only person to be an All-Pro at both sides,” Baker explained. “To be honest with you, it’s not really surprising; it’s just Tristan,” he added.
The Buccaneers’ offensive line has struggled at times this season; however, Wirfs has been excellent. According to PFSN’s NFL Player OL Impact rankings, Wirfs sits 9th in the league despite only playing in 11 games this year.
This marks Wirfs’ fifth Pro Bowl selection, which places him third in franchise history behind only club legends Mike Evans and Mike Alstott. Despite being so young, the offensive tackle has already etched his name in team history. If he can remain healthy, it would not be shocking to see him add to this total before all is said and done.
Wirfs is not the only Buccaneers star to be selected to the Pro Bowl this season, as veteran Antoine Winfield Jr. also made the coveted roster. This is the second Pro Bowl selection of Winfield Jr.’s career.
