Todd Bowles provides update on status of Ryan Jensen

The injured center was spotted pacing the sidelines during the Buccaneers' first preseason game. Could he still return in 2022?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers opened the preseason on Saturday night with a close loss to the Miami Dolphins. While there were plenty of storylines on the field such as the up and down play of quarterback Kyle Trask or linebacker Cam Gill's big night, the most intriguing part of the game surrounded a player who was on the sidelines.

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Buccaneers starting center Ryan Jensen was carted off early in training camp with a lower-body injury. At first glance, it appeared that the injury was serious and could keep Jensen out for the 2022 season. The team has yet to officially comment on the nature or severity of the injury.

Head coach Todd Bowles addressed the media on Sunday morning following the 26-24 defeat to Miami. According to Bowles, Jensen is still dealing with swelling in his leg that has made it tough for doctors to determine an exact timeline for his return. Tampa Bay expects to have more clarity within the next week.

“The swelling hasn’t gone down and they’re not exactly sure on the timing,” Bowles said. “He may or may not come back, if at all. They said in the next week – we should know something by this week. Because we didn’t have an answer, I didn’t give a comment. I wasn’t trying to be mean or anything – they just told me to wait until the swelling goes down because it could go one of two ways and we are just waiting for it.”

It's certainly noteworthy that the Buccaneers haven't completely ruled out Jensen for the season already. There seems to be some optimism that he missed a major bullet and might be able to return at some point late in the year. That would certainly go a long way in boosting the franchise's championship hopes under star quarterback Tom Brady.

The Colorado native has started all 71 games at center over the regular season and playoffs for Tampa Bay since joining the franchise in 2017. It will be no easy task to replace Jensen, who is regarded as one of the most physical offensive linemen in the entire NFL. 

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