Tampa Bay Buccaneers need Robert Hainsey to step up in a big way

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need second-year pro Robert Hainsey to step up this season, having lost center Ryan Jensen to injury in training camp.

Last week, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were dealt a disappointing blow in training camp, as they saw veteran center Ryan Jensen suffer a knee injury that is expected to keep him out of action for a long time.

Jensen’s timetable for a potential return is not yet known, and he could miss a significant chunk of games for the team, leaving a gaping hole in the middle of the offensive line.

The 31-year-old has been a regular starter for the Buccaneers since joining the team in 2018, helping to play an essential role in the team’s Super Bowl victory during the 2020 campaign and earning himself a Pro Bowl nod for the first time in his career in 2021.

Having his experience and stability, having started every regular season game dating back to 2017, 81 games all told, was crucial to the Buccaneers’ 2022 campaign, especially with the key departures of Alex Cappa (Cincinnati via free agency) and Ali Marpet (retirement) leaving the team’s interior line looking thinner.

However, losing the ninth-year pro is something that does open up a golden opportunity for a player drafted by the team just last season.

Robert Hainsey, selected out of Notre Dame in the third round (95th overall) in the 2021 Draft, is the team’s presumed starter at center with Jensen sidelined – having featured in nine games during his rookie season, primarily as an interior lineman.

Hainsey, who stacks up at 6-foot-4, 306lbs, has the size suited to playing center, but his inexperience at the position in the NFL will be watched closely as training camp progresses.

However, it appears that future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady has faith in the second-year pro, stating how Hainsey has earned trust among his offensive teammates after working hard during his debut season in the league.

The 23-year-old was expected to face competition for the role initially, but it appears that he has already performed well enough for the coaches to provide him with the majority of reps – building chemistry with his linemates as well as Brady, who returned from retirement just 40 days after making the announcement back in February.

If Brady trusts that Hainsey can provide him with enough protection in the pocket, then that will be one of the first signs that the job will be his to lose this summer – with very few alternatives available to the team at this stage.