TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers left tackle Tristan Wirfs and nose tackle Vita Vea were named to the 2025 NFL Pro Bowl on Thursday. However, arguably, the Bucs' best player this season, quarterback Baker Mayfield, was only named as an alternate.
For Vea, it's his second Pro Bowl selection of his seven-year career in Tampa. He's been everywhere on defense, pulling down 39 tackles, six sacks, 12 quarterback hits and one pass defensed in 15 games this season.
He's also keyed the Bucs' almost perennially tough rush defense. If the Bucs hold onto a top-five ranking through the final game, the team will have finished as a top-five defense in five of the six seasons Vea has been a starter.
Wirfs has been a plug-and-play starting tackle since he was drafted. After being one of the league's top right tackles, he transitioned to left tackle and has been a beast on that side as well.
With his fourth Pro Bowl selection, Wirfs has the most selections of any offensive lineman in franchise history. Overall, on offense, he only trails Mike Alstott (6 Pro Bowl selections) and Mike Evans (five Pro Bowl selections, per the Bucs.
According to Pro Football Focus, Wirfs has allowed just one quarterback hit this season, along with 10 quarterback pressures, and hasn't given up a sack across any of the 15 games he's played.
But perhaps the biggest Pro Bowl lineup snub was Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield, who was named an alternate.
The former number-one overall pick has been playing at an elite level all season and has Tampa Bay on the cusp of a fourth straight NFC South division title.
Through 16 games, Mayfield has thrown for 4,279 yards, 39 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. He's completed 71.7 percent of his passes and a quarterback rating of 107.6, which is a career-high.
His passing has him ranked third in the NFL in passing yards, second in completion percentage, tied for second in passing touchdowns, and third in quarterback rating.
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