Is Ryan Jensen Pursuing A Coaching Career?

During the 2023 season, former Bucs center Ryan Jensen still had an influence on Tampa Bay’s offensive line.

Of course, I hate that we unfortunately now have to say “former” Bucs center Ryan Jensen following his recent retirement announcement. The former Pro Bowl center called it a career last week due to complications from the knee injury he suffered in training camp during the summer of 2022, an injury that kept him out for essentially two full seasons.

Though Jensen was out for the year, he stayed around in Tampa to be in the locker room and help an offensive line that saw some transition between 2022 and 2023.

During Super Bowl Week, Ryan Jensen and former Buccaneer Garrett Gilkey went on the Ronnie & TKras show on WDAE, where Jensen was asked about that 2023 season was like given all that he went through.

“When I got put on IR, I made a choice to really stick around the team and help cultivate these young guys and help coach them under the guidance of Joe Gilbert and Harold Goodwin,” Jensen said. “Helping out as an offensive line coach, essentially. To me, that was kind of a smooth transition, still got me around football, which I love, but it also gave me a little of that…I think a little bit of a slow slope into that retirement world.”

Is A Coaching Carer Coming Up For Ryan Jensen?

There’s a fair amount of optimism to be had for the Bucs offensive line. What more needs to be said about Tristan Wirfs? His move to left tackle went about as seamlessly as possible, and he continues to play with a dominating style that has him in the conversation to be the best tackle in football.

On the right side, the Bucs had it work out out with Luke Goedeke playing his natural position at right tackle. He improved by leaps and bounds, solidifying his role as a right tackle who can be trusted against great competition.

Bucs C Ryan Jensen and G Aaron Stinnie – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Where work needs to be done is on the interior offensive line, starting at center. Don’t be surprised if there’s an upgrade at that position, as many have fallen in love with Oregon draft prospect Jackson Powers-Johnson. Robert Hainsey is fairly average at center, having his ups and downs, but it’s certainly a position where the Bucs want to upgrade.

There is plenty of promise in Cody Mauch at right guard, who is expected to take a big step forward next season. Mauch was already playing better as a rookie than Goedeke did at guard the year before. So if he can progress the way Goedeke did from year one to year two, Mauch could truly become a powerhouse on the Bucs’ offensive line. Mauch may even get some consideration at center.

At left guard, Matt Feiler was eventually replaced by Aaron Stinnie, who of course started during the playoff run when the Bucs won Super Bowl LV. Feiler likely won’t return, and Stinnie is an unrestricted free agent this season, however he won’t have the biggest market. It wouldn’t hurt getting Stinnie back in the mix to compete for a starting role, but finding another free agent or draft pick to fill the role would also suffice.

So given this is a group that Ryan Jensen is very familiar with, would he want to coach them up? Or coach at any level?

“I’ve thought a lot about that for a long time,” Ryan Jensen said. “For me, it’s kind of a fluid situation. I think if the situation was right, I could be up for it, but I think for right now I kind of want to step away a little bit and take a break from football. I’ve been doing it for 26 years, since second grade, so I think there’s always a little bit of good time to step away from something you’ve done for a long time to just kind of catch a breath.”

It sounds like Ryan Jensen won’t be coaching next season, but it wouldn’t be a shock if he eventually got into the coaching ranks. Based on his reputation as a great, hard-nosed player, a Super Bowl champion, and a Pro Bowler who was known as the best center in the game in his prime, Jensen definitely checks the boxes in terms of credentials. Any team would be looking to have him on board.

Catch the whole interview with Jensen and Gilkey on the Ronnie & TKras Show on WDAE website and tune into the show daily.

The post Is Ryan Jensen Pursuing A Coaching Career? appeared first on Pewter Report.