Jon Ryan

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Ryan signed with the Seahawks on September 9, 2008, after being released by the Green Bay Packers. In his first season, he kicked a 63-yard punt, a 60-yard punt, and a 55-yard punt in a single game against the San Francisco 49ers. During the 2009 season, he threw a 42-yard pass against the Arizona Cardinals, giving him a 118.7 QB rating for the year. In 2010, he helped the Seahawks secure a playoff spot by pinning the St. Louis Rams inside their own 10-yard line twice, including a punt that landed on the two-yard line. He won NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for that performance. In the 2013 season, Ryan became the first player from Saskatchewan to win a Super Bowl when the Seahawks defeated the Denver Broncos 43–8 in Super Bowl XLVIII. In the 2014 NFC Championship, with the Seahawks trailing 16–0, Ryan threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Garry Gilliam on a fake field goal, becoming the first punter to throw a touchdown pass in an NFL playoff game. He signed a four-year, $10 million contract on March 11, 2016, to stay with the Seahawks. On August 20, 2018, Ryan was released by the Seahawks after 10 seasons with the team. On April 16, 2024, Ryan signed a one-day contract to retire with the Seahawks.

In Their Own Story

The third quarter of the 2014 NFC Championship was slipping away. The Seahawks were down 16–0, and the offense was stuck in neutral. On fourth down, the field goal unit trotted onto the field. But this was no ordinary kick. Jon Ryan, the punter, took the snap and looked downfield. He fired a 19-yard touchdown pass to Garry Gilliam, a tackle eligible. The play electrified the stadium and shifted the momentum. The Seahawks would go on to win 28–22, advancing to their second straight Super Bowl. Ryan became the first punter to throw a touchdown pass in an NFL playoff game and the first Canadian to throw a touchdown in any NFL game since 1993.

Reader's Guide

Jon Ryan played for the Seattle Seahawks from 2008 to 2017, serving as the team's primary punter for a decade. He was known for his strong leg and his ability to pin opponents deep in their own territory. In the 2010 season, he landed a punt on the two-yard line against the St. Louis Rams, helping the Seahawks secure a playoff spot. He won NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for that performance. In the 2014 season, he won NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September. Ryan also had a knack for executing fake punts. In the 2014 NFC Championship, he threw a 19-yard touchdown pass on a fake field goal. He finished his Seahawks career with 78 punts for 3,254 net yards in 2010, 95 punts for 4,391 net yards in 2011, 65 punts for 2,963 net yards in 2012, 74 punts for 3,159 net yards in 2013, 61 punts for 2,688 net yards in 2014, 68 punts for 3,105 net yards in 2015, 71 punts for 3,126 net yards in 2016, and 92 punts for 4,141 net yards in 2017. He was released by the Seahawks on August 20, 2018, after Michael Dickson beat him out in the preseason. At the time, he was the longest-tenured Seahawk on the roster.

Did You Know?

• Jon Ryan is the first player from Saskatchewan to win a Super Bowl, doing so with the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII.
• He is the first punter to throw a touchdown pass in an NFL playoff game, a 19-yard pass to Garry Gilliam in the 2014 NFC Championship.
• Ryan was the longest-tenured Seahawk on the roster at the time of his release in 2018.
• He once rushed for 26 yards and a first down on a fake punt in Week 15 of the 2016 season against the Los Angeles Rams, but was injured on the play.
• Ryan signed a one-day contract to retire with the Seahawks on April 16, 2024.