Ryan Jensen Explains How His Knee Was Destroyed In Training Camp
February 27th, 2023
Recalls his knee rehab.
You could argue that the beginning of the end of the Tom Brady era began on the second day of training camp in July 2022. That’s when Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen was lost for the regular season with a terrible knee injury.
Jensen bravely came back for the galling playoff loss to the Cowboys. In retrospect, Joe wishes he would have just saved the wear and tear on his mangled knee.
And from the way Jensen described the injury, “mangled” is the apt word to use. The injury damn near ended his career. Real talk.
Jensen appeared with WTVT-TV Channel 13 sports anchor Scott Smith on Smith’s No Days Off podcast. There, Jensen explained how he learned the severity of the injury after his tests, X-rays and MRI results came back to the Bucs.
Jensen recounts sitting down with Bucs head trainer Bobby Slater as Jensen learned the news that damn near changed his life. Jensen explained as Slater went through image after image, Slater’s prognosis of the images grew worse.
“Bobby is going through all of these images and saying, ‘Yeah, your MCL is torn,'” Jensen began. “‘And your PCL is torn. Yeah, your ACL is torn but we’re not sure how torn it is. You have this fracture. You had this meniscus flipped. … ‘
“You hear all of these injuries pile up and you think, ‘I’m 31 years old. I’ve played 10 years in the NFL. … Did I play my last snap?'”
He almost did.
Jensen told Smith that he was initially told by one physician he needed a full knee reconstruction. Had he undergone that procedure, Jensen said not only would it have ended his career, he would never be able to walk the same way again.
Joe previously wrote up Jensen’s wild ride to recovery that went through Indianapolis and being stuck in a hotel room alone for nine days.
Jensen added he still needs to build up his strength and mobility in the knee to where he was before it was blown out last July. By training camp, that knee should be OK.
February 27th, 2023 at 4:07 am
I had knee injury years aga. It never gets normal again.
February 27th, 2023 at 6:12 am
Thank you for sharing, Jensen is the tone setter of the O-line, such a huge loss. Would have been different had he played.
February 27th, 2023 at 6:30 am
Hi I’m Tom .I played for plant high …I was running back….I blew out my knee …had total reconstructive surgery…2 weeks later I played QB on a winning off-season team ..and came back next year and scored a 50 yard touchdown …your knees never the same but as you can see it can be done still
February 27th, 2023 at 6:41 am
Jensen is a leader, a warrior, a beast on our OLine. He sets the tone. Amazing recovery story, although I still think he was nuts for playing in that Dallas game. Bucs have to keep him for the last 2 years of his contract. His leadership alone is invaluable.
February 27th, 2023 at 6:49 am
No Brady, bad knee that will never be the same, who is surrounded by bad guards equates to a highly expensive center that will be a shadow of his former self. He will hurt the Bucs more than he will help the Bucs. Jensen will be cut after the 2024 season.
February 27th, 2023 at 7:15 am
I fully expect Jensen to retire this year whether its the beginning or end of the year remains to be seen most players with that much damage never fully recovers.
February 27th, 2023 at 7:18 am
Standup dude……most would retire with an injury like that at his age…..good to have him back…..his availability on the line gives our Oline depth…..
Time to drop D Smith….perhaps draft his replacement or move Wirfs to LT & draft a RT.
February 27th, 2023 at 7:27 am
Everything I’ve seen of Jensen screams GRIT and DETERMINATION. I don’t expect to see him sail quietly into that good night on calm seas,
February 27th, 2023 at 7:42 am
That’s interesting that he didn’t get surgery….avoiding any kind of surgery is critical…….cause your knee or shoulder will never be the same again if it’s done.
February 27th, 2023 at 7:42 am
Sooooo many things went wrong last year, Jensen’s injury being the first. You ever embark on a task or maybe a journey, and EVERYthing keeps going wrong one after another, like God is trying to tell you something. That’s probably what Brady felt after Jensen and Stinnie went down
February 27th, 2023 at 7:43 am
Ryan Jensen will probaby retire after this season…..thanks for the toughness!!!!
February 27th, 2023 at 8:00 am
Wow. That’s crazy
February 27th, 2023 at 8:52 am
How did Jenson play against Dallas?
That’s crazy… I hope he can return to form this season.
February 27th, 2023 at 8:59 am
Now
February 27th, 2023 at 9:17 am
Joe, wasn’t it Logan Hall that caused this mess? Weren’t they only playing in shells and were told to not go full on during that particular practice? Didn’t you address this during training camp with some video that was taken from afar? Didn’t Logan man handle Stinnie and then push him into the back legs of Jensen? Did Logan not get the message that he was to take it easy since they were in shells? Funny how Hall looked like he was lost and didn’t know what he was doing on the field during the season. Makes me wonder if he’s not very bright.
February 27th, 2023 at 10:39 am
Joe, I hope you address the issue My Momma brought up. If Logan Hall went all out trying to brown nose Bowels and caused such a damaging injury to Jensen it should be known. As far as I can see, Hall has been a major disappointment for the Bucs.
February 27th, 2023 at 1:15 pm
Hainsey did okay last year.
February 27th, 2023 at 1:46 pm
So dumb having him play against Dallas. Did he say why they wouldn’t disclose his injury?
February 27th, 2023 at 1:58 pm
I’ve had reconstruction of torn MCL & ACL + meniscus; the knee is not the same..
for his own health –Jensen should retire
Had he not been hurt –we would have had a far better season. He’s got a LOT to be proud of
February 27th, 2023 at 2:39 pm
Bueller, bueller……How about it Joe? You going to answer my question?
February 27th, 2023 at 2:59 pm
I can’t believe you can even heal from all that without surgery… I guess the MCL and PCL were partial tears so they were able to grow back (?)… Same with the ACL.. Ligaments that are full tears don’t just magically regrow. It’s incredible the guy was able to get into a game in the same season.
February 27th, 2023 at 3:01 pm
I am lost on the injury. Assume he had surgery but no idea how he came back and was working out in December. I assumed no tear if he was back. Why did he even bother.
February 28th, 2023 at 1:46 am
Damn, I wish he didn’t play that last game.