TAMPA, Fla. — With Tom Brady announcing his second retirement from the NFL earlier in the offseason, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were left to fill the quarterback position, and much more — the team needed a leader.
Sure, the team potentially addressed its quarterback issue after bringing in Baker Mayfield to compete with Kyle Trask to compete for the starting position. But one key element that Brady brought to this Tampa Bay side was his leadership.
The Bucs have plenty of veterans on this team that can carry that mantle, such as linebacker Lavonte David and wide receiver Mike Evans. And now, tackle Tristan Wirfs wants to throw his name in the ring and lead his team in the upcoming season.
"I've really been doing my best this offseason to... be a little more vocal," Wirfs said last month on the Vikes Verified podcast. "Through college, I've never been an extremely vocal leader. I have always been kind of lead by example kind of guy, just kind of be almost under the radar. Now, it gets to a certain point where I got to take over [and be a leader]."
Wirfs, who Tampa Bay selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, had a phenomenal rookie season that helped his team in winning Super Bowl LV. His form since then has continued to increase and he's now one of the best tackles in the league.
The 24-year-old said protecting Brady and listening to him lead the team has been instrumental in his development.
"Tom is an incredible leader and incredible person," he said. "I would go to battle for Tom. He did a lot for me. My first couple of years in the league, it helped with the way I looked up to him and the way he looked out for me was incredible. I'm forever grateful for that."
Although Wirfs may never be regarded as the G.O.A.T. like Brady, he did say replicating his leadership on the field and the way he looked out for him is something he's trying to pass on to the younger guys on the roster.
"I'm not even close to that level but I want to say a couple of things of how I'm feeling or what I'm thinking. Just the little things [are what] I've been trying to do more," Wirfs said. "I've been trying to be somebody that the younger guys can kind of lean to or ask me questions about whatever. It is weird, I still feel young, but going into Year 4, I've been to the Super Bowl, been to the playoffs, been to the NFC Championship, I've done stuff."
During OTAs and minicamp, Wirfs has been settling into a new position with the team at left tackle. At the time, he said that he doesn't mind switching positions as long as it means keeping the winning culture alive in Tampa Bay.
However, just like how it’s challenging for most right-handed people to start writing with their left hand, Wirfs is finding the same unbalance in OTAs.
"Everything is backwards – getting used to throwing my left hand instead of my right and not throwing with my right and opening up," he said during OTAs last month. "Or my weight distribution – I always used to keep my weight in my left leg, now I want to keep it in my right. It’s so similar – you’re doing the same stuff – but it’s all just flipped.”
The 6-foot-5 tackle also touched on the top five edge rushers he has come up against — which include Los Angeles Chargers' Khalil Mack, New Orleans' Cam Jordan, Dallas' Micah Parsons, Cleveland's Miles Garrett and teammate Shaquil Barrett — and the plays offensive coordinator Dave Canales is cooking up in Tampa Bay.
"We've got a new offense that everyone is trying to get dialed in," Wirfs said. "The plays we have is different that the ones we had the past three years, but I think it's great. It's very player-friendly. It's good for offensive linemen. It helps us out."
On the show, Wirfs admitted that country singer Luke Combs is his favorite country singer, and Wirfs actually saw Combs at his concert over the weekend inside Raymond James Stadium.
A video recorded by Bucs guard Luke Goedeke that was shared by the team's social media shows Wirfs drinking a can of beer with Combs on stage during his performance. Combs was also wearing a Bucs creamsicle hat, pointing to the fact that Tampa Bay will wear its throwback jerseys in Week 6 against Detroit.
Wirfs and the rest of his teammates are set to meet back up in a couple of weeks at One Buc Place for training camp ahead of the new season.