Tom Brady suggests center Ryan Jensen could return if the Bucs make the playoffs

Bucs fans who have spent months looking for an update on the status of injured center Ryan Jensen finally got some news — and hope — from an unlikely source.

His quarter

Speaking in his weekly Let’s go! the podcastTom Brady said Monday that it’s “yet to be determined” when asked by host Jim Gray if Jensen could return if the Bucs reach the postseason.

“I know he’s been very diligent with his rehab,” Brady said. “I don’t know, I don’t think anyone knows now. I know it’s so much closer, and I know it’s dying to be out there. I see it every day, I try to encourage it every day.”

A 2021 Pro Bowler who signed a three-year, $39 million contract last spring, Jensen was walked off the field at AdventHealth Training Center. Injuring his left knee, on the second day of training at the end of July. Although he is currently on injured reserve, the details of his injury have never been revealed.

He remains a regular at games, wearing a black brace on his knee in recent weeks, but is not limping.

His return will not only galvanize the fan base, but also provide pride and swagger to a unit decimated by injuries. In In Sunday night’s 19-16 overtime win over the Cardinals, Left tackle Donovan Smith (foot) was inactive because backup Josh Wells tore his left patellar tendon Pro Bowl right tackle Tristan Wirfs (ankle) went through his game in his first action of the month.

“That would be a huge boost if (Jensen’s return) were to happen,” Brady said.

As for the possible return of another standout blocker, Brady was a little lighter.

on friday The Tampa Bay Times reported that retired tight end Rob Gronkowski has reached out to the Bucs about a possible return before ultimately choosing to remain retired.

“Look, nobody loves Gronk more than me, except probably his mom, dad and brothers,” Brady said.

“It’s like family to me; he is really like one of my children. Every now and then I have to give him a timeout for misbehaving, eating pasta and such. Whatever he decides about his future, I will be fully supportive.”

Other topics Brady addressed Monday included:

As NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth noted, watching Brady miss a short throw to Russell Gage is “like watching LeBron James miss a layup.”

“I’m sure that’s quite natural to cover a game. And look, I’ll get to cover some games (for Fox) sometime soon. So maybe I’ll get to shoot everyone else. But I think that’s natural for a commentator to have his own opinion. And I don’t know, whether you agree with that or not, it’s just an opinion. And I think I try to control what I control. … Do I lose passes? 100% Absolutely.”

Wells’ injury:

“I feel terrible for Josh. He went in there (Sunday), he was excited to play, excited to come out and help the team. And before he got injured – the game before that – he hurt his other knee. He said: “I can do it, I’m fine, I’m fine, I’ll keep going.” He put all the weight on his left leg, and then, probably, some kind of season-ending injury.’

Playing in a Christmas game (on the road, no less) for the first time in his career:

“I think some of these trips can be very relational. We had that trip to Germany this year; We had three or four days in Germany. It was great for our team to be together. We are all eating together in the cafeteria, having meetings. Looks like we’re going camping. We are fighting hard, we are fighting to the end.”

Contact Joey Knight at [email protected]. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls.

• • •

Sign up for the Bucs RedZone newsletter Beat writer Joey Knight for the latest Bucs team and NFL news updates and analysis.

Never miss a beat with the latest Bucs, Rays, Lightning, Florida college sports and more. Follow our Tampa Bay Times sports team Twitter and Facebook.