For every existing Buccaneers player, there’s a very real sense that things are suddenly different, now that Tom Brady is now a teammate.
And few will have the kind of direct, every snap relationship with him as center Ryan Jensen, and he knows that comes with a certain pressure as well.
“When I first heard the news, I was pretty excited, having ‘The GOAT’ sign down here,” Jensen said, via the team’s official website. “To be able to protect [Brady] and be his center, it’s a pretty big deal and I’m excited. . . .
“The guy has played in the NFL for 20 years at that high of a level, there’s a lot of things that he can teach you. I think that’ll be good for the team and offense as a whole to tap into that knowledge and experience. He’s seen pretty much everything so there’s nothing that’s really going to catch him off guard.”
Of course, until we know what the future of the NFL is, it’s impossible to know when Brady will actually meet his guards, or his center, or any of his other new Buccaneers teammates.
But without stepping on the field, Jensen knows he’s going to help.
“When you watch Tom, he gets rid of the ball on time,” Jensen said. “Statistically, he’s getting rid of the ball sometimes a half second sooner than a lot of quarterbacks. That helps the line. With us, that allows us to be a little bit more aggressive at the line of scrimmage in passing downs — to jump set and keep the pocket a little bit firmer.”
And they know that with a guy who turns 43 in August, they’re going to have to be up to the challenge.