Tony Dungy Names 2 Current Bucs He Would’ve Loved To Coach

That’s why his comments on Thursday’s Pewter Report Podcast about two current Bucs meant so much. When asked about recent Tampa Bay players who he would’ve liked to coach, Dungy pointed to two 2020 Tampa Bay draft picks – Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tristan Wirfs.

“There are several guys that I watched that I really have enjoyed, and I like people that play with heart and play with passion and do their job well,” Dungy said. “Antoine Winfield Jr. is one that kind of sticks out to me. I coached against his dad [Antoine Winfield], and of course University of Minnesota ties and everything. So I knew about him.

“But to watch him play and to hear Coach [Todd] Bowles and the defensive coaches talk about his preparation and his work ethic and his attitude, I just love watching him.”

Dungy also showed some love to a non-defensive player, too, even drawing a comparison between him and a Bucs legend and Ring of Honor member.

“Tristan Wirfs is another guy,” Dungy said. “Tristan reminds me of Paul Gruber. … Just go out and do their job, block whoever they put in front of them every time, never say a word, never even get any publicity, just do your job so well. There’s a number of guys that [I’d] say, ‘Yeah, if they were back in the day, they definitely could’ve played with us.'”

Winfield And Wirfs Can Be Important Building Blocks For Bucs

That’s some serious praise for two of the Bucs’ best young players, and of course it’s well-earned praise. There’s a reason why Winfield and Wirfs have caught the eye of a legend like Tony Dungy.

Winfield has been a consistent playmaker from day one in Tampa Bay, bursting onto the scene as a rookie in 2020 and playing a huge role on a Buccaneer defense that helped win Super Bowl LV.

Wirfs made an immediate impact himself, stepping in at right tackle and solidifying that spot on an offensive line that would prove crucial to protecting Tom Brady on the way to that Lombardi Trophy.

In the years since, Winfield has made a Pro Bowl (2021) and is well on his way to another in 2023. Wirfs has made two Pro Bowls (2021 and 2022) and was a First-Team All-Pro in 2021, plus he has made a seamless transition from right tackle to left tackle so far this season.

Tony Dungy is right to say that these are two players who could’ve played with those Bucs teams of the older era, and as Tampa Bay looks forward, these two are going to be playing with the Bucs teams of the future as well. Winfield is only 25 years old, while Wirfs is just 24. Both are in line for big pay days, and general manager Jason Licht and his staff are sure to make them a priority moving forward.

It’s not like Licht needs any more reason to want to extend Winfield and Wirfs – he drafted them in the second and first rounds of the 2020 Draft, respectively – but Dungy’s compliments toward them will likely reinforce that desire. And if nothing else, it speaks to Licht’s credentials as an all-time great Bucs general manager, as he drafted two elite-level players in 2020 much like Rich McKay did when he selected Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks in 1995.

Watch Tony Dungy On The Pewter Report Podcast

You can watch the full Thursday edition of the Pewter Report Podcast featuring the legendary Tony Dungy here (Dungy joins the show at the 27:00 mark):