Tampa Bay Buccaneers Activate Center Jensen

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will get a star back on their offensive line just in time for their Wildcard showdown with the Dallas Cowboys. The team activated center Ryan Jensen from injured reserve, and he is expected to play tonight on Monday Night Football.

Ryan Jensen got plenty of reps with the first-team in practice and now expects to play tonight. His season debut(!) in the playoffs. https://t.co/ET6ZBo62Jp
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 16, 2023

Jensen suffered a knee injury during training camp that cost him the entirety of the regular season, so tonight's game will mark his playing debut this year. He'll likely push center Robert Hainsey out of the starting lineup.

Jensen is a leader and star for the Bucs, so his return should bring the team a much-needed infusion of talent and positivity as they attempt to make up for a disappointing regular season with a strong playoff push. Jensen earned a Pro Bowl for his play in 2021 and a three-year, $39 million contract in the proceeding offseason. In his absence, the Bucs fell from second in points scored in 2021 all the way down to 25th in 2022, and the rushing attack fell from 98.4 yards per game and 4.3 yards per attempt to 76.9 and 3.4.