Regina-born punter Jon Ryan signs 1-day contract to retire as a Seattle Seahawk

Longtime NFL punter Jon Ryan signed a one-day contract allowing him to retire from professional football as a member of the Seattle Seahawks.

Speaking at the signing Tuesday, the Regina-born player said he was grateful to retire with Seattle, where he spent the best part of his career.

"It meant so much to me, I feel like I really found myself here. It was a big part of my life, going from 26 to 36 in one place," he said.

The now-42-year-old spent 10 of his 12 NFL seasons in Seattle, setting numerous team records, and winning a Super Bowl title and two NFC championships.

Jon Ryan spent 10 of his 12 NFL seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. (Seattle Seahawks)

Ryan started his football journey at the University of Regina, where he played both punter and receiver, and signed his first contract with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2004.

He then made his move to the NFL in 2006, signing with the Green Bay Packers.

Ryan joined the Seahawks in 2008, kicking off a decade-long run where he punted 770 times for 34,492 yards, with 276 punts downed inside the 20.

He ended his Seahawks career averaging 44.8 yards per punt with a 38.7 net average, both of which were franchise records at the time.

In 2014, he became the first player from Saskatchewan to win the Super Bowl when the Seahawks defeated the Denver Broncos.

Perhaps his most memorable play was the touchdown pass he threw in the third quarter of the NFC Championship Game against the Green Bay Packers.

In 2018, after a brief stint with the Buffalo Bills, he returned to the CFL in 2019 and played two seasons for his home team, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, then one season with the Edmonton Elks. He finished his professional career in 2022.

Ryan said he was grateful to Seahawks fans  — collectively referred to as the "12s" — for the love they showered on "a freckle-faced redheaded kid from Canada with a speech impediment who punts a football."

"You can never recreate the 12s," he said.

Story continues

"That feeling of walking on the field, of running out of the tunnel, it's something that, no matter what you do the rest of your life, you'll never recreate."

Jon Ryan signed a one-day contract with the Seattle Seahawks in order to retire as a member of the team. (Seattle Seahawks)