A potential Steelers free agreement target is off the board as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have agreed to re-sign center Ryan Jensen on Sunday, mere minutes after Tom Brady announced his return to the NFL.
And after bringing back Tom Brady, Buccaneers now bringing back his center Ryan Jensen, per his agent @MikeMcCartney7.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2022
Jensen signed a three-year, $39 million contract to remain with the Buccaneers with $23 million being guaranteed. Jensen has spent the past four seasons with the Buccaneers, never missing a start, and is coming off his first-ever Pro Bowl nod.
Prior to joining the Buccaneers, he was with the Baltimore Ravens. However, it was a pair of other AFC North rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals, that appeared to be among the favorites to land Jensen. Now it appears the two rivals will have to fight out for one of the other offensive linemen free agents with Jensen off the board.
The Steelers offensive line was one of the worst in the league last season as they were ranked 26th by PFF in the NFL. This was despite quarterback Ben Roethlisberger averaging an absurdly quick 2.0 seconds to release. They were 24th in run protection and only allowed an average of 0.9 yards before contact. Improving the offensive line has been one of the main focal points of the Steelers this off-season.