If you ask me, Ryan Jensen has already established himself as the greatest center in the history of the Tampa Buccaneers organization.
Beyond his high IQ, relentless motor, impressive power, and the many other attributes he brings to the table each time he takes the field, his grit and toughness are undoubtedly his most defining features.
Jensen's nasty demeanor on the field sets the tone, no matter who he's lined up against. Which is why the news of him heading to the IR to miss his second consecutive regular season — and potentially the rest of his NFL career — is all the more heartbreaking.
Jensen loves football. And anyone who has watched him play, or heard him speak, knows that he would give anything to be able to join his teammates on the field this season.
After Jason Licht announced the unfortunate news on the Buccaneers' broadcast during the team's final preseason game vs. the Baltimore Ravens last Saturday night, details have begun to emerge regarding the unconventional path that Jensen took in order to play in last season's Wild Card game vs. the Dallas Cowboys.
Which was a truly miraculous feat considering the extent of his injuries.
Jensen tore his ACL, MCL, PCL, meniscus, and fractured his tibial head and cartilage on the second day of Buccaneers' training camp in 2022. But Ryan Jensen did not have surgery on his knee. Instead, he tried a variety of different techniques to try and accelerate the healing process in order to be able to join his teammates for the postseason.
The most unconventional aspect of that recovery, which was recently revealed by Bucs' beat reporter Rick Stroud, of the Tampa Times, involved Jensen receiving stem cell treatments from the umbilical cords of babies.
According to Stroud, Jensen's stem cell treatments involved using umbilical cords donated by families of babies who were born by cesarean section in Antigua. The unique method of treatment helped to accelerate Jensen's recovery, and ultimately, helped him get to the point where he felt as though he could take the field with Tom Brady, and the rest of his teammates for their playoff game vs. Dallas last year.
Even though it was already well known, the fact that Ryan Jensen was willing to go to such lengths in order to try to recover as quickly as possible, just speaks to how much this guy loves to play the sport of football.
And although we have since learned — despite making it back on the field for that playoff game — Jensen will be unavailable for the entire 2023 season, and potentially the rest of his career, this recent report reinforces just how determined Ryan Jensen is.
Ryan Jensen will be sorely missed by the Buccaneers this season. But thankfully, his gritty mentality, strong leadership, and high football IQ will still be shared with his teammates. Jensen plans to remain with the Buccaneers throughout the year, which will be a huge asset to the team. Most notably, the young offensive linemen who will be trying to shoulder the load without him in 2023.
For continuing coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, subscribe to the Bucs Banter YouTube channel.
More must-reads: