Tampa Bay Buccaneers right tackle Tristan Wirfs is expected to miss multiple weeks, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, after suffering a high ankle sprain.
Wirfs has some ligament damage but should be able to avoid surgery unless a second opinion reveals more, the source said. The hope, according to the source, is that Wirfs will be out only three to four weeks.
Bucs coach Todd Bowles disclosed Monday that Wirfs’ injury is a high ankle sprain and said he expects the lineman will miss the Week 13 game against the New Orleans Saints on Monday, Dec. 5.
“We’ll see how it goes from week to week,” Bowles said of Wirfs’ status.
The injury happened in overtime of Sunday’s 23-17 loss to the Cleveland Browns. On a second-and-9 play, Wirfs was pass-blocking defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, with outside linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah attempting to hurdle running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn, who inadvertently pushed Owusu-Koramoah into the back of Wirfs’ legs.
The loss of Wirfs, just the ninth offensive lineman since 1990 to be named a first-team All-Pro in his first two seasons, is the latest blow to the Bucs’ offensive line.
Tampa Bay has already lost Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen in training camp, Pro Bowl left guard Ali Marpet to retirement and right guard Alex Cappa — a Pro Bowl alternate last season — to free agency. Aaron Stinnie, who was challenging for the starting left guard job, was also lost for the season during camp after tearing his left ACL and MCL.
“It’s awful,” quarterback Tom Brady said Sunday. “It’s awful for us, it’s awful for him. He’s a great player for us. The other guys in are going to have to do a good job, but it’s hard to replace him.”
Information from ESPN’s Jenna Laine was used in this report.
Source: www.espn.com