TAMPA — Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs and defensive tackle Vita Vea are both sidelined to open the 2026 training camp after suffering injuries during the team’s conditioning test at the AdventHealth Training Center, Head Coach Todd Bowles said Wednesday.
Wirfs sustained a hamstring injury during the test, while Vea tweaked his back. Neither participated in Wednesday’s first practice of camp, and both are considered day to day. Bowles said he was not yet sure of the severity of Wirfs’ injury.
“Right now I’m not sure, I’ll know more [later] today,” Bowles said. “I would hope that it’s not long, but we’ll see.”
Wirfs missed the first three games of last season after having a knee procedure in July but came into this year’s camp with a clean bill of health. The hamstring setback during a routine conditioning run adds an unwelcome layer of uncertainty to the Bucs’ offensive line heading into the preseason.
Vea did not participate in the team’s minicamp practices in June, though he attended meetings. Bowles said Vea was performing well in the conditioning test before the back issue surfaced.
“He ran yesterday and he did good in the test and he tweaked something as well,” Bowles said. “He’s been engaged then and he’s engaged now. Like I said, he came in great shape. His weight is good, he ran great yesterday, he tweaked something so we’ll see how he feels.”
Second-year cornerback Benjamin Morrison was also limited during Wednesday’s practice as he continues to work through a hamstring injury that cropped up at the end of the offseason program. “He’s still working on his hamstring a little bit but he’s day by day,” Bowles said. The Buccaneers are expected to provide further updates on all three players as camp practices continue this week.