$13 million in guaranteed money for Hainsey, and the crowd goes wild citing Tommy Condon of CAA’s work on the deal. The last time we blurbed about Hainsey it was in the context of the 2023 Buccaneers, who had Hainsey ready to step in for Ryan Jensen at center. Hainsey was rough in 2023 and replaced by Graham Barton after he was selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The 2021 third-round pick will, judging by the size of the contract, be the favorite to start over Luke Fortner at center in Jacksonville.

It's a huge sigh of relief for Buccaneers players, coaches, and fans. Hainsey is in line to start at center, following Ryan Jensen's knee injury, and reportedly looks up to the challenge. As decades of television commentary have taught us, Tom Brady is susceptible to pressure up the middle. Having a reliable starter at center will be critical to the Buccaneers' offensive success this season.

Hainsey was thrust into a critical role for the Buccaneers when Ryan Jenson suffered a knee injury on July 28th. The second-year player out of Notre Dame had reportedly been "looking great" per ESPN's Jeff Darlington, to the point that the Buccaneers were not expected to look for an outside replacement for Jensen. That will need to change if Hainsey suffered a serious injury as well.

With Ryan Jensen facing a long-term absence after suffering a knee injury early in camp, the Bucs are scrambling a bit at center. A third-round pick last year, Hainsey is the next man up. "Every day he's facing Akiem Hicks and Vita Vea," coach Todd Bowles told King. "If that can't get you ready for the season, I don't know what will." The coach added he is not particularly worried about the situation. Still, this is an uncertain situation for a team squarely in win-now mode. It would not be surprising if the Bucs look to a free agent like J.C. Tretter to shore up the depth chart.