Captain Fear
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- Mar 20, 2019
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Tom Brady has been in the league for nearly as long as Tristan Wirfs has been alive.
The Buccaneers right tackle turned 22 in January, just before he concluded his terrific rookie year with a victory in Super Bowl LV over the Chiefs. Wirfs’ quarterback is roughly 21.5 years his senior, as Brady turns 44 in August.
That fact and Brady’s considerable skill don’t really leave Wirfs’ mind as he sets up to pass protect — even at minicamp. Brady had offseason knee surgery following his seventh Super Bowl victory, so it’s even more important to make sure players stay away from him.
“Especially having Tom Brady back there, that’s always in your mind — just making sure nobody comes close to him or gets near him,” Wirfs said during his Tuesday press conference. “But he told us — I remember he told us last year — he said, ‘Don’t get beat fast and don’t get beat inside and we’ll be alright.’ So I kind of held onto that pretty tightly last year. But no, it’s really cool having him back there.”
Wirfs also noted that Brady “definitely brings the best out of us.”
“You want to keep him safe,” Wirfs said. “You don’t want anything to happen to him.”
Brady was sacked only 21 times in 2020, so the Buccaneers’ offensive line did just that, for the most part. If they can continue to do so in the upcoming season, Brady should be in position to have another strong season for Tampa Bay.