Robert Hainsey: Bucs’ Center Of The Future?

“Rob has taken some major steps from last year to this year – it’s awesome to see him come into his own,” Jensen said Saturday night. “This offense is great for him. A lot more zone-type schemes and stuff like that.

“From what I’ve seen, he’s been doing a fantastic job and it’s been awesome to watch that progression with him because he’s a young player. He gets the game and he loves the game. It’s awesome to see that.”

Hainsey once again spent time this offseason working with former Bucs center A.Q. Shipley, an eight-year NFL veteran. The former Notre Dame man looks bigger and stronger this season, and he now has the opportunity to really cement himself as part of Tampa Bay’s future plans.

Robert Hainsey Could Play His Way To A New Contract With Bucs

Robert Hainsey was drafted in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, so this season will be his third in the league. His rookie contract runs through the 2024 season, making him set for free agency in 2025. So, what are the chances that the 6-foot-4, 306-pounder will be the Bucs’ center of the future?

This was always going to be a possibility for Hainsey, as the 25-year-old’s contract is set to expire after 2024 – the same way Ryan Jensen’s will. And given that Jensen will turn 34 ahead of the 2025 season, it was unlikely that he’d get another new contract from Tampa Bay. That meant the team’s center from 2025 on was always going to be Hainsey or a new addition through free agency or the draft.

So if Hainsey was always going to get the chance to succeed Jensen as the team’s starting center for the foreseeable future, how does the latter missing all of 2023 change anything?

What Jensen’s placement on season-ending injured reserve does for Hainsey is it gives him another prolonged opportunity to make his case for a second contract with the Bucs. And given the uncertainty over whether Jensen will ever be able to play again, there’s a high likelihood that Hainsey will also have the 2024 season to continue building his resume.

What all of this does for the Bucs is it gives them three full seasons (provided there are no injuries) of tape on Hainsey at center. And that will be plenty to tell the team whether it should extend his contract or look toward free agency or the draft for their next starting center.

The Bucs will actually have two windows to make a decision about Hainsey as their future starting center: after this year and following the 2024 season. If they like what they see out of him this year, it’s likely they could give him another year to start in 2024 before making a final decision about a new contract.

But if Tampa Bay isn’t convinced by Hainsey this year, the team could look toward the draft in 2024 and select a center to challenge — or at least push — Hainsey next season, which will be a contract year for him. If the 2021 third-round pick still hasn’t solidified his spot by the end of that season, the 2024 draft pick, a selection in 2025 or a potential free agent could take the reins the following season.

Either way, the reality is this: Even if he never steps on the field in red, white and pewter again, Ryan Jensen has already left an impressive legacy with the Bucs with a Pro Bowl season and a Super Bowl championship. It’s now up to Robert Hainsey to take on the challenge of being his potential long-term successor.