Tristan Wirfs has oddly specific prediction for Tampa Bay Buccaneers season

Tristan Wirfs is calling his shot for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 2023 season.

The former Iowa Hawkeyes star turned Super Bowl champion will be blocking for someone other than Tom Brady for the first time in his NFL career, but that isn’t deluding his confidence. No, Baker Mayfield certainly isn’t a seven-time champion like Brady, but it’s evident Wirfs is a believer regardless.

During appearance on the Vikes Verified podcast, Wirfs predicted that the Buccaneers will go 12-5 this season.

For context, that’s a better record than Tampa Bay had when Brady led them to a Super Bowl, as Kameron Duncan of The Spun pointed out. That’s a bold, bold prediction for the former Iowa star.

Not only is Tampa Bay dealing with uncertainty at quarterback, but the Buccaneers couldn’t even finish above .500 with Brady in a weak NFC South last season. Now, the division has improved by leaps and bounds, and it’s arguable the Tampa Bay regressed at some key positions.

For starters, the New Orleans Saints brought in former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr to run their operation. Could he have a Drew Brees-like impact on the franchise? Probably not, but a trip to the playoffs seems to be in their future in 2023.

As for the Carolina Panthers, they traded up to the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to select former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young. With freshly minted head coach Frank Reich leading the charge, the Panthers look poised for a turnaround as soon as this upcoming season.

Finally, the Atlanta Falcons were one of the most underrated teams in the NFL last season, and all they did was add former Texas Longhorns star running back Bijan Robinson to their offense, and a bevy of talent to their defense. They could be one of the sleepers teams in 2023.

But putting the focus back on the Buccaneers, it’s evident they’re hoping for Mayfield to return to form in Tampa Bay, perhaps catching a diamond in the rough through an unheralded free agency signing. He showed flashes in his short stint with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022, so it could be in the cards.

Regardless, that doesn’t make Tristan Wirfs’ prediction any less bold. If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers go 12-5 in 2023, many will be shocked, but not the star offensive lineman.