NFL Rumors: Bucs' Tristan Wirfs, Antoine Winfield Jr. Restructure Rookie Contracts

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have addressed their cap issues in a unique way.

The team restructured the rookie contracts of tackle Tristan Wirfs and free safety Antoine Winfield Jr, making each player's base salary the minimum and converting the rest to a signing bonus and spreading it over the next four seasons.

Both players were selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, with Wirfs being the 13th overall pick and Winfield Jr. being a second-round pick. Winfield Jr. is under contract through 2023 while Wirfs will not be a free agent until 2024.

The move is considered to be strange as the organization did not have automatic contractural right to restructure, meaning both players agreed to the move, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Where the two players make out in the deal is with the tax situation in Florida, as the signing bonus applies with the no state income tax in the state, while base salary could be taxed in states where the games are played.

Still, the decision likely came out of goodwill from the players in order to help their team out in a difficult situation. The team is up against the salary cap and has been hindered by a $35 million dead cap hit that came as a result of quarterback Tom Brady's retirement after the 2022 season. According to OverTheCap.com, they have the most money wrapped up in dead cap in the NFL.

The money saved will help the team moving forward as they prepare for the post-Brady era. They won the NFC South in 2022 with a sub-.500 record and fell to the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card Round.