Buccaneers not expecting OL Ryan Jensen back anytime soon
When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers placed Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen on injured reserve earlier this year, they did so in a way that ensured he could return to the active roster at some point later in the season.
Jensen suffered a serious knee injury on the second day of training camp, but there was some hope that perhaps he could return at some point this year, even if it wasn't until the postseason.
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Back in 2020, Buccaneers defensive lineman Vita Vea suffered a broken leg in a Week 5 loss to the Chicago Bears. He returned to help the Bucs win the NFC title game, as well as the Super Bowl.
While it's still technically possible for Jensen to make that kind of triumphant comeback to the active roster, the Bucs aren't holding their breath at this point.
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"They haven't told me anything right now. We're going without him, we expect to go without him," Bucs head coach Todd Bowles told the media after Wednesday's practice. "If he gets better somehow, then we'll welcome him back."
Jensen signed a lucrative three-year contract extension with the Bucs this offseason, just before he was set to hit free agency, and just after Tom Brady had announced that he would be returning for a third season in Tampa Bay.