The writing has been on the wall for Ryan Jensen for a while now, but that doesn't make this any easier for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Not playing for a full year and some change after a knee injury is not the norm in the NFL, and anyone that was paying attention knew that Jensen's woes were far from done when he started training camp with the same injury concerns.

Now, the Bucs will be without Jensen in 2023 for a second full season, and it also looks like Jensen's time in the NFL could be done.

From last night:
— Our full story on #Bucs C Ryan Jensen dealing with a likely career-ending knee injury https://t.co/UDp5Ls7SCG
— Wrap-up of the preseason action https://t.co/xB4jqziOYV
— The #Jets named Mekhi Becton their starting RT https://t.co/ZbMXTF2RRc

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 27, 2023

This was the last thing any Bucs fan wanted to see.

As far as offensive linemen are concerned, the only guy that rivals Jensen in terms of talent and importance is Tristan Wirfs. That should show just how big this loss is for Tampa.

Jensen joined a bad Bucs team and immediately started a dramatic culture shift. The veteran center was an immediate positive for the Bucs on a weak offensive line, and the shift began aggressively after Jensen set the standard.

Now, it looks like Jensen could be in for a much longer recovery than initially expected, and that could be a major issue for the former Pro Bowler maintaining a career beyond this point.

Hopefully Jensen is able to heal enough to be healthy in his normal life. Football comes second in a situation like this, and it sure seems like that is very far off in a situation like this.

Buccaneers HC confirms suspicion surrounding Ryan Jensen’s injury

When Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen went down Thursday with a leg injury, it was quickly assumed he would miss significant time, if not the whole 2022 season. Sure enough, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles confirmed that Jensen will indeed miss significant time after Friday's practice. "I don't know the severity of […]