Ryan Jensen likely played the last down on the Bucks and possibly in the NFL. His ligaments at the Bucks Pro Bowl Center have healed from a serious injury sustained on Day 2 of training camp in 2023, but his cartilage damage remains. Jensen tried valiantly to make a comeback this year, but stem cell therapy to regenerate the cartilage in his knee failed.
Jensen, who has been placed on the end-of-season injury reserves for the 2023 season, will do everything in his power to return to football next year, but will likely retire next year at 33. In fact, Jensen and the Bucks have a mutually beneficial restructuring that will impact 2024 salaries and cap charges, and are taking steps in that direction.
according to OverTheCap.com, Jensen restructured his salary this summer to ensure the Bucks have additional cap space in 2023.
Not sure if this is out there already, but Bucks C’s Ryan Jensen hopes the Bucks will have a salary cap in 2024 so that dead money can be split between 24 and 25-year-olds if retired/reduced. It is said that the contract was restructured to make
— Jason_OTC (@Jason_OTC) August 30, 2023
Jensen’s base salary was $11 million, with restructuring funds this summer set to cost him a whopping $17,267,000 for the 2024 salary cap year.
Now, a new restructuring next year will reduce Jensen’s cap charge to $5.977 million, which the team will have to bear during the first period of the 2024 offseason during free agency. But that’s a huge saving cap of $11.299 million for the Bucks in 2024.
The reorganization will allow Tampa Bay to release Jensen after June 1, with a final cap of just $4,767,000 in 2024.
Ryan Jensen restructuring aids Bucks’ 2024 free agency plans
Bucks GM Jason Licht and C Ryan Jensen – Photo Credit: Cliff Welch/PR
If the Bucks don’t do this restructuring in 2024, they’ll end up cutting staff. Ryan Jensen The minimum cap savings could save about $700,000 before going free agency next year. With Jensen’s total 2024 cap charge of $17,267,000 on the books, it will eat up a lot of cap space and limit the Bucks’ free agency quota next year.
The Bucks are currently working to extend Mike Evans’ contract and secure Antoine Winfield Jr. and left tackle Tristan Wirfs (who could play as a fifth-year option next season). Therefore, we are considering new contracts. New deals for quarterback Baker Mayfield, inside linebacker Devin White, strong safety Ryan Neal and left guard Matt Feiler will depend on how they perform in 2023. .
The restructuring will allow the Bucks to spread out Jensen’s cap charge and create more than $11 million in free agency cap room next year. Without this reduction, Tampa Bay would have had to retain Jensen’s total cap charge of $17,267,000 during free agency, which would have hindered efforts to sign new players and re-sign free agents. would have interfered.
Bucks likely to fire Ryan Jensen after June 1 — otherwise he’ll retire then
Bucks C Ryan Jensen – Photo Credit: Cliff Welch/PR
The new deadline for Bucks center Ryan Jensen to make a miraculous comeback from a knee injury is June 2, 2024. If not, that’s when the Bucks are expected to cut him, or when he’s expected to return. He plans to retire at that point to help with the Tampa Bay salary cap. This latest reorganization will push the Bucks’ 2025 salary cap with $11.801 million worth of dead money.
The future may seem futile, but for Jensen’s deadcap money, the 2025 season is the end. The NFL’s salary cap is expected to grow by more than $20 million over the next two years, so pushing it would be fine. As such, Jensen’s deadcap money will be a smaller percentage of Tampa Bay’s cap charge by then.
