Predicting how Bengals OL will look in 2022 after Super Bowl performance

Center: Ryan Jensen

I wouldn’t have predicted Ryan Jensen to be the Bengals’ starting center had Tom Brady not retired but the Bucs’ quarterback did indeed announce his retirement and that makes now as good a time as any to get out of Tampa Bay and join another organization.

Before we dive into that, we’ll discuss the center position in Cincinnati. It’s been a job that’s belonged to Trey Hopkins in recent years but he didn’t play well in 2021. I had cutting him as one of the easiest roster decisions for the team to make this offseason because they’ll save roughly $6 million in doing so and that’s a no-brainer if the team wants to upgrade at the position anyway.

Now onto Jensen. He finished the 2021 season with a 70.3 PFF grade and allowed just two sacks on the year. Spotrac has his projected market value to be roughly three-years/$30 million and that’s reasonable considering he’s 30 years old and was banged up in the playoffs.

Jensen might decide to remain in Tampa Bay but with Brady gone and the Bengals being the hot new team, I’m going bold here and predicting he’ll sign with Cincinnati to be their starting center in the 2022 season.