Bucs’ Wirfs vows to help replace ‘one of the best leaders of all time’ Tom Brady in locker room

The new season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will bring a number of challenges – especially in the absence of Tom Brady.

With the surefire future Hall-of-Famer now retired, there’s a void in the leadership of the team that must be filled.

One of the people leading the charge to take up that mantle is Pro Bowl offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs. 

On an episode of the Vikes Verified podcast, Wirfs demonstrated that he wants to show members of the team that he can step up in that role.

‘We had Tom. Tom is an incredible leader. He’s an incredible person. You could put him up there with the best leaders of all time,’ the left tackle said.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs is trying to cement himself as a leader

Wirfs acknowledges the Bucs will be missing a key leader with Tom Brady (12) now retired

Wirfs will block for a new starting QB – whether that’s Kyle Trask (2) or Baker Mayfield (6)

‘He was very vocal. He’d bring the whole team up and give a little speech after practice. He’d bring the whole offense up.

‘Obviously, I’m not even close to that level to do that now, but I want to say a couple things — how I’m feeling or what I’m thinking. Just how practice went — just little things. I’ve been trying to do that more. 

‘Trying to be somebody that the younger guys can kind of lean to or ask me questions about whatever. 

‘It is weird, I still feel young, but going into Year 4, I’ve been to the Super Bowl, been to the playoffs, been to the NFC Championship, I’ve done stuff.’

Wirfs already has a Super Bowl title under his belt, as well as an All-Pro mention and two Pro-Bowl selections at the age of 24.

With uncertainty ahead for the Bucs – especially at the quarterback position as Kyle Trask and Baker Mayfield fight for the starting role – Wirfs says he’s trying to do more than just lead by example.  

‘I’ve really been doing my best this offseason throughout all these OTAs and throughout this minicamp just to be a little bit more vocal,’ said Wirfs, who’s preparing to block for his first starting quarterback other than Brady.

‘Because I feel like even through college, I’ve never been an extremely vocal leader. I’ve always been kind of a lead-by-example kind of guy – go almost under the radar. I feel like now it gets to a certain point where now I kinda got to take over.’

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