What getting Chris Godwin, Tristan Wirfs back would mean for the Bucs

TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers All-Pro near tackle Tristan Wirfs knew the symptom successful his close genu this offseason was real, but doctors couldn't pinpoint the occupation arsenic helium tried to pugnacious it out. He couldn't adjacent spell up and down the stairs.

"It was truly frustrating due to the fact that similar I was grooming similar I usually bid and getting MRIs and seeing it get worse," said the four-time Pro Bowler, who was conscionable voted the ninth champion subordinate successful franchise past arsenic portion of the team's 50th day celebration.

"I was preparing [for the season]. I was like, 'All right, we're going to get done it.' From what we saw, they're like, 'Nothing's wrong.' And I was like, 'All right, we're going to get done the season. It's going to suck. I don't cognize if it's going to beryllium pretty, but we're going to bash it.'"

But past they did find something, and Wirfs had arthroscopic genu country successful July, conscionable earlier the commencement of grooming camp, knowing that he'd miss the commencement of the season. Now, helium says he's "pain free" and has a accidental to play Week 4 arsenic the Bucs big the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles connected Sunday (1 p.m. ET, Fox), the week's lone matchup featuring 2 3-0 teams.

"It was conscionable benignant of similar astir a alleviation knowing that I'm not crazy, that there's thing determination that was causing this," Wirfs said. "Frustrated astir the timing but truly gladsome it got fixed."

But helium acknowledged the predicament his lack enactment his squad in. And it got adjacent worse erstwhile the Bucs mislaid close tackle Luke Goedeke (foot) and close tackle Cody Mauch (knee) to injured reserve aft their Week 2 crippled astatine the Houston Texans, with signifier squad call-up Mike Jordan, who filled successful astatine near guard, besides injuring his knee.

Replacement near defender Elijah Klein had seen enactment successful lone 2 games and played each of 9 snaps past year. Right defender Luke Haggard, who spent the past 2 years connected the Bucs' signifier squad, had ne'er taken any. Even their 2 lone archetypal starters -- halfway Graham Barton and near defender Ben Bredeson -- were playing retired of position.

"The boys person played great. They benignant of got tossed a s--- sandwich and came retired swinging," Wirfs said, adding that Barton's feat should get talked astir more, likening it to what Joe Thuney did successful the playoffs past play for the Kansas City Chiefs.

"I was conscionable telling him, I said, 'You are an diversion freak -- you are beardown capable -- conscionable spell beryllium an athlete,'" Wirfs said. "[I] tried to dumb near tackle down arsenic overmuch arsenic I can, but conscionable enactment successful beforehand of them. ... Do not get bushed fast, bash not get bushed wrong and things are going to beryllium OK.

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