Tristan Wirfs Injury: Expected to miss start of season

Wirfs underwent surgery on his right knee Tuesday and is expected to miss the start of the regular season, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Wirfs dealt with the knee issue last season but missed just one regular-season contest. However, he aggravated the injury this offseason and was spotted wearing a brace during minicamp. The Bucs scheduled a knee scope for Wirfs on Tuesday, but additional minor damage was found during the procedure, according to Stroud, who also notes that Wirfs will likely begin the season on the reserve/PUP list. That would cost Wirfs at least the first four games of the campaign. Charlie Heck is expected to be the next man up at left tackle for Tampa Bay. Losing Wirfs is a big blow to the entire offense, as he's a road-grader in the running game and protects Baker Mayfield's blind side in passing situations.