Legendary center Ryan Jensen is hanging up his cleats following an 11-year career in the NFL. Jensen took to social media to publicly announce his retirement from football on Friday, February 2.
"When I look back on my career, I have no regrets," detailed Jensen via Instagram. "Opportunity is a gift. A gift you have to attack with a tenacity unknown to mankind. I have given that tenacity for the last 11 years, with the unwavering support of my wife, my kids, my friends and my family. I thank you all for that … with any chapter in the book of life, there is always an ending. The NFL chapter of my life is coming to a close. As this chapter closes and I reflect on every aspect of my career, it makes me proud. In the hard times and good, there is always something special to learn. Retiring from the game you have loved from a very young age is always hard. I am excited for this next chapter and the new opportunities and challenges it will bring."
Jensen sustained a significant injury on the second day of training camp in 2022, including complete tears of his MCL and PCL ligaments, along with a partial tear of his ACL. He missed the entire 2022 regular season before playing in the Bucs' playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys. Jensen underwent an arduous rehab process over the course of the previous year, and during the 2022 season, trying to return from the severe injury. He chose a non-surgical approach that functioned in all aspects apart from the cartilage damage. Jensen then began training camp in 2023 on a gradual tune-up schedule and was later placed on injured reserve, sidelining him for the duration of the 2023 campaign. He stayed around the facility and attended games to help teammates from a mentorship/coaching standpoint to spark energy.
Jensen was originally selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played with the Ravens for four seasons (2013-17) before arriving in Tampa Bay. In total, Jensen has played in 100 career regular season games, with 90 starts. Since becoming a starter in 2017, Jensen played 5,307 offensive snaps, 27th-most in the NFL over that span. With a nasty competitive disposition, Jensen anchored the Bucs' offensive line and established himself as one of the best at his position.
In 2021, Jensen was part of an offensive line that allowed a sack on only 3.1 percent of pass plays - the best mark in the league and the second-best single season mark in franchise history. Tampa Bay's offense ranked second in the NFL in yards per game (405.9), points per game (30.1), third down conversion percentage (47.1) and yards per play (6.02). Jensen started all 16 games in 2020 and was part of an offensive line that allowed a sack on 3.51 percent of all pass attempts, the second-lowest mark in the NFL and the second-lowest mark in a season in team history. He helped block for an offense that ranked second in passing yards per game (289.1), third in points per game (30.8), seventh in yards per game (384.1) and seventh in yards per play (6.04).
In 2019, Jensen started all 16 games, paving the way for an offensive line that averaged 28.6 points per game, the third-highest mark in the league, posting 397.9 yards per game, the third-highest mark in the NFL, with 302.8 passing yards per game, the best mark in the NFL. The team's 458 points scored are a franchise record. In 2018, Jensen helped block for an offense that led the NFL in passing yards per game (320.3), while ranking third in total yards per game (415.5) and fourth in yards per play (6.30). Tampa Bay's offense set team records in net yards (6,648), passing yards (5,125), points scored (396) and first downs (388). The team's 5,125 passing yards are the fourth-most in a season in NFL history.
