The Buccaneers have activated Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen from injured reserve ahead of the team’s wild-card matchup against the Cowboys on Monday night.
Jensen injured his knee on the second day of training camp and was placed on injured reserve Sept. 1. He has been designated to return from injured reserve since Dec. 28, which began a 21-day window for Jensen’s return to the lineup.
Jensen has been a pivotal piece of Tampa Bay’s offensive line since joining the team in 2018. Prior to his knee injury in training camp, Jensen had started all 71 games since joining Tampa Bay in free agency from Baltimore.
The return of Jensen to the lineup comes at a pivotal time for Tampa Bay, which has been much maligned up front all season. Add in the fact that Robert Hainsey, Jensen’s replacement, has been limited in practice all week with a hamstring injury, and the potential return of Jensen becomes even more important on Monday night.
Tampa Bay and Dallas take the field at Raymond James Stadium to decide the final spot in the NFC divisional playoff round next. Kickoff is slated for Monday night at 8:15 p.m. ET.
