Bucs lose left tackle Tristan Wirfs to knee injury Baker Mayfield's blindside became less safe Sunday. Left tackle Tristan Wirfs suffered a knee injury with about five minutes remaining in the first half of the Bucs' 23-20 loss to the 49ers. According to multiple reports, Wirfs suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee. He had to be helped off the field by trainers and will undergo an MRI on Monday. Barring the discovery of further damage, Wirfs is expected to miss some games but could return later this season. "Sometimes, that's the way the season goes," Mayfield said. "Hopefully, Tristian is not (a) serious (injury). I just saw him, and it looked like he was in a positive mindset at least. So, that's good. That's a positive." Wirfs was replaced by backup swing tackle Justin Skule, who gave up a sack to 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa but otherwise played solidly. The injury to Wirfs was just the latest in a slew the Bucs are dealing with. For the second straight game, they were without their top three receivers. Chris Godwin is out for the season with a dislocated ankle. Mike Evans is expected to return from a hamstring injury after the bye week. Jalen McMillan did not play due to a hamstring injury. Defensive back Tykee Smith was inactive as the result of a knee injury. Cornerback Zyon McCollum (hamstring) and linebacker Chris Braswell (oblique) also left Sunday's game with injuries. Skule started four games at right tackle earlier this season after Luke Goedeke suffered a concussion. In his first game, the Bucs yielded 4½ sacks to the Lions' Aidan Hutchinson, three against Skule. "Skule has played a lot of ball," Mayfield said. "Whatever happens going forward, we expect us to have success on offense no matter what. After the bye, ‘13' (Evans) is coming back, so we're ready for that." Wirfs was in pass protection and stood up Bosa when guard Ben Bredeson threw 49ers defensive lineman Jordan Elliott. Elliott hit Wirf's knee awkwardly. "It's hard to lose someone in your room that you spend so much time with," said Bredeson, who is playing with a shoulder injury. "And everyone is close and praying for him. I don't know anything about how his (test) results are or how they're going to be. They're a little bit more positive than negative. "But you try to rally around who is out there, and Justin came in and played his butt off out there (Sunday). It's just the next-man-up mentality. This is the NFL, and that's how it's got to be. Credit to our depth and credit to this roster for playing hard. We've just got to push that wall over and find ways to win." Rick Stroud, Tampa Bay Times, published 11 November 2024