The Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ 2020 Super Bowl run wasn’t just about Tom Brady’s magic—it was built on unsung heroes. One of them? A rookie who stepped in and immediately became a brick wall on the offensive line. Sixteen regular-season starts. Just one sack allowed—to Khalil Mack, no less. A flawless playoff run capped with a ring. By Year 2, he was already on the NFL Top 100 list. Not bad for a rookie. But here’s the twist: he almost wasn’t a Buc at all.
Recently, GM Jason Licht spilled the beans on a frantic draft-night scramble that changed everything. Multiple trade plans got tossed aside for one gutsy move to secure him—Tristan Wirfs. The rest? Well, that’s how dynasties are built. Jason Licht still remembers the sweat on his palms that April night in 2020. On the Field Talk Podcast, the Bucs GM peeled back the curtain on a desperate scramble for his guy. “We started trying to trade up for him at seven,” Licht confessed. The price? Steep. The conviction? Absolute. Then came the curveball.
TAMPA, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 24: Tristan Wirfs #78 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrates after beating the Chicago Bears 38-3 in the game at Raymond James Stadium on October 24, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Licht wasn’t just worried about teams picking ahead of him—he was actively trying to leap them. He first targeted the Jaguars at No. 9, offering a third- and fourth-rounder to jump into the top 10. But Jacksonville’s GM David Caldwell hesitated. “I don’t really want to give the 6 back,” he reportedly told his team before pulling the plug on the deal. That forced Tampa to pivot. When Licht heard the 49ers at No. 13 were weighing another trade—and that the mystery team (possibly Denver or Atlanta) might take Wirfs—he made his move. Tampa flipped picks with San Francisco, sending a fourth-rounder to climb just one spot. That one-slot leap made all the difference. Wirfs was a Buc. A Super Bowl foundation was laid.
The what-ifs still linger. Would Wirfs have lasted? Would Tampa’s Super Bowl window have closed before it opened? Licht’s voice still carries that mix of relief and pride: “It worked out in our favor.” Five years later, the evidence is undeniable. That one-spot jump didn’t just land a tackle. It won them a Lombardi.
The Tom Brady-Wirfs connection that fueled a Super Bowl run
The weight of history pressed down on Tristan Wirfs from day one. Facing Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul in training camp, the rookie’s hands shook—not from fatigue, but fear. “I got Tom Brady back there,” he thought, the terror visceral. “It’s not going to be my ass that gets him hurt.” Then came the voice that steadied him: “Don’t get beat fast. Don’t get beat inside. We’ll be okay.” Seven words from Brady that became his lifeline.
That 2020 season tested every ounce of Wirfs’ resolve. When midseason losses piled up, the rookie wondered if they’d already blown it. Brady’s glare said otherwise. Eight straight wins later—through Atlanta’s chaos, Green Bay’s tundra, and Mahomes’ magic—Wirfs stood on the Super Bowl podium having allowed just one sack all year. Not bad for a kid who once called his mom starstruck after a hallway encounter: “I felt like he was seven feet tall.”
GLENDALE, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 25: Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reacts on the bench during the 4th quarter of the game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on December 25, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Tom Brady Effect cut both ways, of course. The yelling? Oh, it came constantly. The criticism? Brutal when it needed to be. But here’s the thing—Wirfs somehow earned that rare immunity through nearly flawless play. “Tom was awesome. I love him to death,” he admits, and you can still hear that same reverence in his voice today, untouched by time. Now look where that trust got him—that bond forged under fire now fuels Tristan’s complete dominance, with his $26 million guarantee standing as proof (7th highest in the league, mind you) of just how far this Tristan has come.
From wide-eyed rookie to the NFL’s highest-paid tackle, Tristan’s journey hasn’t just been about personal growth—it’s mirrored Tampa’s entire transformation. Looking back now, that draft-night gamble did more than secure Brady’s final ring; it built the foundation for whatever comes next. So when Wirf’s pancakes his next All-Pro pass rusher (and you know he will), here’s the beautiful part: somewhere out there, Number 12 will be watching…and nodding with that quiet approval only champions recognize.
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