Winning an NFL award is always special, but winning it in an inaugural year would be even more so — and a Tampa Bay Buccaneers player has a good chance to do just that in 2025.
The NFL has always given love to skill position players and defenders with most of its yearly awards like MVP, Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, but it’s set to shine a light on the league’s crucial offensive linemen with a new award called the Protector of the Year. The award is set to go to the NFL’s best offensive lineman, and of course, Buccaneers All-Pro Tristan Wirfs is firmly in the running.
Pro Football Focus listed out the odds for the award’s biggest contenders, and Wirfs has the third-highest odds to win the award at +1300. He’s behind Detroit Lions right tackle Penei Sewell (+650) and Philadelphia Eagles left tackle Lane Johnson (+750).
Here’s what PFF had to say about Wirfs’ chances:
“As the reigning winner of PFF’s Best Pass Blocker Award in 2024, Wirfs will have a compelling case to be a finalist for the inaugural Protector of the Year honor. Pass protection remains the most critical aspect of tackle play, and Wirfs continues to set the standard for it. His 94.1 PFF pass-blocking grade last season not only led the NFL but also ranked as the second-highest single-season mark among all offensive linemen in the past decade.
That said, Wirfs’ game remains somewhat one-dimensional. His 62.8 run-blocking grade marked a career low and tied for 43rd among qualifying tackles in 2024. If he can elevate that aspect of his performance, Wirfs could emerge as one of the top contenders for the new award.”
Wirfs’ run blocking has never been a point of contention, but his pass blocking has indeed been far more vaunted. His ability to stop the best in the world in their tracks has led to him being named First Team All-Pro at both left and right tackle, the first player in NFL history to do so. Now, he’ll try to add another award to the mix with Protector of the Year, but he’ll have some staunch competition,
Wirfs will at least have an advantage with team chemistry, as the entire Buccaneers offensive line is set to return in 2025. That familiarity will aid Wirfs whether he wins the award or not, and his efforts will be crucial in Tampa Bay’s quest to win a fifth-straight NFC South division title.
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