The Buccaneers are expected to be without Chris Godwin to begin the season, but they are nevertheless on track to carry him on their active roster in September. The same is also true of left tackle Tristan Wirfs. 
Head coach Todd Bowles said on Thursday (via Fox Sports’ Greg Auman) Wirfs will be on the active roster once final cuts take place. Starting the season on the reserve/PUP list – the likely outcome as of last month – would have guaranteed at least a four-game absence in this case. By moving Wirfs to the active roster, though, he will be eligible to play (or at least practice) within that span.
Missed time during the regular season has been in store since Wirfs underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in early July. The matter of how long he will be unavailable has been unclear ever since, however. Today’s update certainly does not offer any guarantees regarding the two-time All-Pro’s timeline, but it is still an encouraging sign that playing before Week 5 will be an option.
Wirfs inked a five-year extension last offseason. That pact carries an AAV of $28.13MM, which was at the time the highest for any offensive tackle (Rashawn Slater‘s recent Chargers extension surpassed it by a slim margin). A healthy run of games will be critical to Tampa Bay’s offensive line in Wirfs’ case, and as such it would come as no surprise if the team played it safe with his return once he returns to practice.
In the meantime, Charlie Heck is slated to handle first-team duties on the blindside. The free agent addition has 50 appearances and 27 stars to his name, but expectations will of course be far lower than when Wirfs is back in place. When that will be is still unclear, but a long span without the four-time Pro Bowler may not wind up being necessary.