Tristan Wirfs is going back to the Pro Bowl.
On Wednesday evening, the NFL announced the rosters for its reimagined "Pro Bowl Games," and Wirfs, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' standout offensive tackle, was selected for the second time in his three NFL seasons. Wirfs first made the Pro Bowl last season while also being named to the Associated Press All-Pro first team.
The Pro Bowl rosters, which pit the AFC against the NFC, are selected by a combination of votes cast by fans, coaches and players. The Buccaneers also have a number of players who received enough votes to be Pro Bowl alternates, which means they may eventually be added to the roster if other players cannot attend due to injuries, playoff advancement or other reasons. The Buccaneers alternates are quarterback Tom Brady, safety Antoine Winfield Jr., guard Shaq Mason, inside linebacker Devin White, kicker Ryan Succop and defensive lineman Vita Vea.
Wirfs, the 13th-overall selection in the 2020 draft, has played in and started 44 games over the past three seasons. He has missed the last three outings in 2022 due to an ankle injury but could return to action this coming Sunday in Arizona. A starter since the first game of his rookie season, Wirfs quickly developed into one of the most dominant blockers in the NFL. Last year, he and San Francisco's Trent Williams were the top two vote-getters among all NFL tackles in All-Pro balloting.
As was the case in his first two seasons, Wirfs has been an anchor on one of the league's top pass-blocking front lines. The Buccaneers have allowed only 19 sacks in 14 games, tied for the league's lowest total, and have an NFL-best 3.04% sacks-per-pass-play rate. According to Pro Football Focus, Wirfs has allowed only one sack this season on 771 offensive snaps.
The NFL has transformed its all-star week, focusing on popular skills competitions throughout the week and finishing with a flag football game on Sunday instead of the traditional game in pads. The new format is designed to regain a legitimate level of competition while reducing the risk of injury.
