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.