Jason Kelce Has Deep Respect For Ryan Jensen
February 7th, 2024
Ryan Jensen has a fan.
Joe has to admit to still being a little depressed.
It’s been five days since Bucs center Ryan Jensen retired. His knee was destroyed. He couldn’t get back on the field (though he tried last summer).
Jensen meant so much to the Bucs organization and fans loved his work ethic and gnarly attitude on the field.
It seems Jensen’s play and ‘tude rubbed off on other players. At the Pro Bowl this past weekend, Collin Haalboom of SI.com ran into Eagles Pro Bowl center Jason Kelce and asked him about Jensen. Video style!
Kelce was a big fan of Jensen not just because of how well he played but how he carried himself as a pro.
“In his tenure in the NFL he was one of the best centers in the league,” Kelce said. “Not only was he imposing physically but he was an imposing personality. He was a very tough, physical guy.”
Kelce said there was no doubt Jensen was a leader.
“He was a guy that set the tone for whatever team he played for whether it was Baltimore or Tampa Bay,” Kelce said. “He had an incredible career. He had some injuries [late in his career] but he was one of my favorite players of all.
“[Jensen] was going to bring it day in and day out. Every game, you loved watching Ryan Jensen play. He can look back [on his career] with a lot of pride.”
The way Kelce spoke, it was as if NFL centers as a whole looked up to Jensen.
“I think I speak for a lot of guys in the NFL that he played the game the way you’d want every offensive lineman to play.”
That’s high praise from arguably the best center in the game.
Yeah, Joe knows the Bucs played virtually all of 2022 without Jensen and all of 2023. Still, you can feel his absence. The Bucs miss him and his leadership.
And yes, Joe still thinks the Bucs are still searching for the intangibles Jensen brought to the table.
February 7th, 2024 at 5:13 am
Big red was the man! Hope he stays around the team for a long time.
Maybe he’ll be able to mentor Powers-Johnson or whoever the Bucs draft to succeed him this year.
February 7th, 2024 at 5:27 am
Jensen for sure was that guy every QB wanted protecting him. Jensen always played to the whistle, maybe a little past the whistle, and did everything he could to get into a defenders head. Jensen and Kelce will go down as those old school lineman that the other team wanted no part of and every QB would be lucky to play behind. Trying to find those leaders is dang near impossible.
February 7th, 2024 at 6:21 am
After hearing who the Bucs plan to hire for OL coach, Jensen definitely gonna be missed. Looking at the new OL coach resume, I would rather have Jensen coaching the OL with no coaching experience
February 7th, 2024 at 7:25 am
There is your offensive line coach Joe !!!
February 7th, 2024 at 8:03 am
Outstanding & well deserved praise for #66.
He will be MISSED from this team.
February 7th, 2024 at 9:53 am
How much tougher would Baker be with Jensen kicking butt in front of him.
February 7th, 2024 at 10:23 am
The absence of his performance is obvious as well. OL assignment changes and line checks suffered immensely. And then there was the “no push up the middle” run blocking, and the “Ole’ “ edge blocking at RT.
Bowles should hire him to stay on and coach. But he won’t.
February 7th, 2024 at 10:47 am
Serious question…Is he up for discussion for Bucs Ring of Honor? His impact was felt in all planes of this team. I believe he was a pillar and absolute anchor for the SB team. Would Brady have taken us to the SB without Jensen? He did with Jensen. Was Jensen the key to bringing Brady here? Jensen was an absolute mentor in the locker room and the on the sideline for two years. He didn’t have to do that. IMO, he epitomizes what every Buc should aspire to be.
February 7th, 2024 at 11:08 am
I believe that if Marpet wouldn’t have retired early Jensen probably wouldn’t have gotten hurt the way he did in training camp. I also think Hall will never be good enough to overcome the damage he did to this organization.
February 7th, 2024 at 12:28 pm
I’d love to see him in the Bucs Ring of Honor. Even though his tenure was short, his impact was huge. Lots of folks, myself included, blamed much of the offensive drop off in 2022 on Lefty and some even want to blame Brady’s “distractions” (not me) but losing Jensen probably hurt the most because the team just seemed to give up at times no matter how hard Brady tried to rally them. Jensen wasn’t even really on the sidelines much then either. I doubt he would have tolerated the effort (or lack of) had he been involved, especially if he was playing.
He was with the guys pretty much all season this past year and they never showed any quit. I don’t think it’s a coincidence or a reach to think his presence helped with that.
The only problem with him in the ROH being a “short-stint guy” is it opens the conversation about Suh, JPP and others. We had guys who were huge contributors to our SB run and victory. Gronk, Brady, Lenny, even AB. So I’m not sure where you draw the line (except forget AB….a quitter has no place near anything with “honor” in the title)
Anybody else kind of wish we could coax Kelce to come play with us for one year before he turns in his retirement papers? Not sure if he’s a FA or not. Wishful thinking. Lol
February 7th, 2024 at 1:40 pm
Can they hire Jensen as O line coach?
February 9th, 2024 at 5:21 am
“That’s high praise from arguably the best center in the game.
Yeah, Joe knows the Bucs played virtually all of 2022 without Jensen and all of 2023. Still, you can feel his absence. The Bucs miss him and his leadership.
And yes, Joe still thinks the Bucs are still searching for the intangibles Jensen brought to the table.”
You have never been more right Joe!
I am hoping that he can stick around the team for a bit and maybe some of that will emerge from the young guys.
Go Bucs!