-
Jenna Laine
TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers placed two-time All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs and Pro Bowl wide receiver Chris Godwin on the active/physically unable to perform list Tuesday.
Wirfs was held out of mandatory minicamp in June and stood on the sidelines wearing a heavy brace on his right knee. At the time, coach Todd Bowles indicated he was being held out for “precautionary” reasons. But he wound up undergoing arthroscopic surgery in July, which is when more damage was detected. Early indications are that Wirfs will “likely” miss the start of the regular season, sources told ESPN earlier this month.
Godwin suffered a dislocated left ankle in Week 7 this year and underwent surgery. At the time, in Oct. 2024, Godwin was told that as a “best-case scenario,” he could return for the playoffs in January, but that it was an “absolute best case.” General manager Jason Licht then said back in April that the plan was for Godwin to return in Week 1 of the 2025 season. But Godwin was sidelined during OTAs and the team’s three-day mandatory minicamp in June — not even practicing with a member of the team’s training staff off to the side, which is typically customary for injured players who don’t practice.
By being placed on the active/PUP list, both players are eligible to be activated for training camp or the preseason at any time once medically cleared. They will be eligible to participate in team meetings, receive medical treatment and work out at the facility, but they cannot practice, per the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Both players will count against the team’s 90-man training camp roster limit.
The key will be final roster cutdowns. If either or both players are placed on the reserve/PUP list during the preseason or final cutdown period, they’ll be required to miss the first four weeks of the regular season. A player cannot be placed on the PUP list after they have practiced or played in a preseason game and instead, they’d go to injured reserve.
The Bucs have expressed great confidence in rookie first-round draft pick Emeka Egbuka’s ability to grasp new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard’s system. He spent OTAs and mandatory minicamp not only in Godwin’s role, but learning all receiver positions.
“The thing that sticks out is how cerebral he is,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said of Egbuka last month. “He’s so smart. Right now, I think we could plug-and-play him at every [wide] receiver spot — he understands the offense that well. That’s just him being a pro already. He’s not a rookie — he doesn’t act like it at least. It’s been really good to see him take that ownership.”
As for Wirfs, the Bucs signed Charlie Heck this offseason as their backup swing tackle after Justin Skule departed in free agency and they’re currently assessing their options.
In addition to Wirfs and Godwin, the Bucs placed offensive tackle Silas Dzansi, offensive guard Sua Opeta and quarterback Michael Pratt on the active/physically unable to perform list. They also placed linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. on the active/non-football injury list and rookie nose tackle Desmond Watson on the active/non-football illness list.
The Bucs have their first official training camp practice Wednesday, July 23, and begin their quest for a fifth consecutive division title at their season opener against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 7.
