One of the meanest and most aggressive players in the NFL just earned a massive payday. Longtime NFL veteran center Ryan Jensen has signed a new contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jensen is coming off a season in which he was named to his first Pro Bowl at 30 years old. He has made 81 straight starts dating back to 2017 — playing over 5,000 snaps during that time frame.
And after bringing back Tom Brady, Buccaneers now bringing back his center Ryan Jensen, per his agent @MikeMcCartney7.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2022
Ryan Jensen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Agree to Contract
Jensen was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the 203rd-overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft out of Division II Colorado Sate-Pueblo. 2015 was the first season Jensen became involved in the Ravens offense. He made his first NFL start Week 10 against the St. Louis Rams and would feature in the Ravens next six games. He was then forced to miss the latter end of the 2016 season due to injury.
However, Jensen came back in 2017 stronger than ever. Due to the departure of center Jeremy Zuttah, Jensen was able to win the Ravens starting center job going into the season. That year he started a career-high 16 games while playing over 1,000 snaps for the first time in his career. Jensen then signed a four-year(s)/$42 million contract with the Buccaneers following his breakout season. The new deal made him the highest-paid center in the NFL after he posted a career-high 72.3 overall grade per Pro Football Focus.
Jensen became one of the most important pieces on the offensive line during his four years in Tampa Bay. He did not miss a single game and helped the Buccaneers win Super Bowl LV. His highest-graded season came in 2019 when he registered a career-high 79.3 overall grade per PFF — giving up just one sack on 1,115 offensive snaps.
If Jensen plays in one NFL game in 2022, he will have the most played in the most NFL seasons of any player to come out of CSU Pueblo.
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Embed from Getty Images
