TAMPA, Fla. — Buccaneers center Ryan Jensen is retiring after an 11-year career in the NFL. Jensen posted to social media Friday, February 2, to announce his decision.
"When I look back on my career, I have no regrets," Jensen posted on 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 during that 2022 season choosing a non-surgical approach.
Jensen began training camp in 2023 on a gradual tune-up schedule, but ultimately could not proceed through camp and was later placed on injured reserve, sidelining him for the duration of the 2023 campaign. He was still around the team, attended games and helped teammates from a mentorship/coaching standpoint.
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.
His signing in 2018 helped changed the culture in Tampa Bay, ultimately leading to a Super Bowl Championship with Tom Brady and company in 2020.
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. 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.
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.
Jensen has already been investing time into his home-building company called HGC Design Build with former Buccaneers player Garrett Gilkey.