Tampa Bay Buccaneers helmet shown on field.LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 29: A Tampa Bay Buccaneers helmet is seen on the field ahead of Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Los Angeles Ramsat Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 29, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)


In a totally unexpected move, one of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ top offensive players and fan favorites has decided to call it a career.

On his Instagram page, Buccaneers Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen announced that he his retiring from football at the age of 32. The one-time Pro Bowler missed the entire 2023 season with a knee injury.

 

Jensen signed with the Buccaneers in 2018 free agency after spending his first five seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. The No. 203 overall pick of the 2013 NFL Draft enjoyed his best seasons with the Bucs, winning a Super Bowl 55 championship in the 2020 season before earning his lone career Pro Bowl selection the following year.

After signing a three-year extension in 2022, Jensen unfortunately suffered a knee injury that forced him to miss the entire regular season. He was made active for the Bucs’ Wild Card Round playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys, a 31-14 Tampa loss.

This is the second time in three years now where the Buccaneers lost a star offensive lineman unexpectedly due to retirement. Two years ago, superstar guard Ali Marpet retired at 28 years of age after just notching his first career Pro Bowl selection.

With Jensen missing each of the last two regular seasons, 2021 third-round pick Robert Hainsey has stepped in and emerged as the Buccaneers’ new starting center. He started each of the Bucs’ 17 regular season games in 2021 and 2022.