The Chicago Bears will kick off the 2023 NFL season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, where Chicago is looking to bounce back after a brutal Week 1 loss.
Here at Bears Wire, we’re conducting a fun exercise where we hypothetically steal one player from the Bucs roster to help bolster this current roster.
Buy Bears TicketsThere are certainly plenty of options on Tampa Bay’s roster — and some holes on this Chicago roster. Nose tackle Vita Vea, wide receiver Mike Evans and linebacker Lavonte David are just a few names that are intriguing options.
But the one that stands out is left tackle Tristan Wirfs, who is a key cog in the Bucs’ offensive line. And considering the struggles of Chicago’s offensive line, the timing is perfect. Wirfs is a First-Team All-Pro (2021), Second-Team All-Pro (2022) and two-time Pro Bowler (2021, 2022). Not to mention, a Super Bowl champion.
In the last meeting between the Bears and Bucs in Oct. 2021, Chicago wasn’t able to get past Wirfs, who allowed zero sacks and just one pressure, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Bears offensive line had a brutal showing in Week 1, where they allowed four sacks on quarterback Justin Fields. Fields was pressured on over 65 percent of his dropbacks, which is not a recipe for success. It’s clear this offensive line still has plenty of work to be done.
Wirfs will be responsible for keeping quarterback Baker Mayfield upright against a struggling Bears pass rush that managed just one sack in the season-opening loss to the Green Bay Packers.
