Tampa Bay Buccaneers center Ryan Jensen announced his retirement from the NFL through a social media post on Friday. The 32-year-old made the Pro Bowl in 2021, when he helped the Bucs win Super Bowl LV with Tom Brady under center.
“With any chapter in the book of life, there is always an ending,” Jensen wrote. “The NFL chapter of my life is coming to a close. As this chapter closes and I reflect on every aspect of my career, it makes me proud. In the hard times and good, there is always something special to learn. Retiring from the game you have loved from a very young age is always hard. I am excited for this next chapter and the new opportunities and challenges it will bring. Thank you to the Ravens and the Buccaneers for taking a chance on a small town Colorado kid and to the Krewe for always raising the flags.”
Jensen, who battled with serious injuries in the last two years, is stepping away from the gridiron with 100 career games under his belt — in addition to seven playoff appearances. Selected in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Ravens, he spent five seasons in Baltimore before landing a record-breaking contract with the Bucs.
How Jensen’s retirement impacts Bucs’ cap space in 2024
In 2018, the Buccaneers made Jensen the then highest-paid center in the league by handing him a four-year, $42 million deal. He went on to play a key role in the team’s return to glory in the 2020 season, but injuries eventually stood in his way.
Ryan Jensen #66 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers waits to snap to Tom Brady #12 during the second quarter in Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium on February 07, 2021 in Tampa, Florida.
Jensen’s career took a turn in the 2022 preseason, when a knee injury ruled him out for most of the campaign. The center made it on time for the Wild Card loss to the Cowboys, but that turned out to be his final game as another setback on his knee prevented him from playing in 2023.
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Greg Auman of FOX Sports notes that, since Jensen reworked his contract with the Bucs in each of the last two seasons, he’ll carry $16.6 million in dead money against the cap in 2024.
However, the Bucs could find a way to have more flexibility by splitting out this money. “If they can count his release as post-June 1, it would be split to $4.8 million in 2024 and $11.8 million in 2025,” Auman wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
