When Ryan Jensen went down with a knee injury on the second day of training camp, it was a harbinger of just how hard the 2022 season would be for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Pro Bowl center missed the entire regular season, but somehow, made a miraculous comeback in time for the Bucs’ first-round playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys.
More details about Jensen’s injury and recovery were revealed by Dan Pompei of The Athletic, and the whole process seems even more unbelievable now.
“We can’t really tell about your ACL,” Bucs trainer Bobby Slater told Jensen, when his MRI results were initially revealed, per Pompei. “It’s torn, but we’re not sure if it’s totally torn. Your PCL is torn. Your MCL is torn all the way through. Your lateral meniscus has a bucket handle tear, and it’s flipped into the back nodule of your joint. You have a tibial head fracture and a cartilage fracture in your knee. So there are six major injuries.”
Jensen thought his career might be over, and wondered if he would have trouble walking in the future.
Instead, through a combination of immobilization, stem cell therapy, and other non-invasive procedures, Jensen not only returned to the field six months later, but he did so without having surgery to repair any of the injuries to his knee.
Jensen has long been respected as one of the toughest competitors in the league, but this whole scenario has taken that legend to another level. His success in this situation could also open the door for more athletes to take this route with their recovery, as well.
Pompei’s piece is an absolute must-read for any Bucs fan, or NFL fan in general.
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