Seattle Seahawks: Jon Ryan released as Michael Dickson emerges

The Seattle Seahawks have released veteran punter Jon Ryan, who has now signed with the Buffalo Bills.

The Seattle Seahawks have released long-time punter Jon Ryan. Ryan spent the last 10 seasons with the team after a two-year stint with the Green Bay Packers. During his time with the team, he punted 770 times and netted 30,018 yards on punts.

Ryan asked for his release as it has become apparent that rookie punter Michael Dickson is the Seahawks future at the position, not Ryan. The move was made looking forward to the team’s future, as Ryan is entering his age 37 season. Dickson, a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft, is only 22. Ryan wasn’t on the market long ,however, as he has signed a deal with the Buffalo Bills.

The move was incredibly kind and classy on the part of the Seahawks and was handled professionally by Ryan as well. The departure occurred with no bad blood between the two sides, painting neither as a villain and leaving their reputations intact. Because of the time of the release, Ryan was able to catch on with another team before the start of the season and allocated him time to adjust to his new team.

Ryan has plenty of talent left to help on his new team. He punted 92 times in 2017, the second most in a single season in his career. The season was also his second best in terms of total punts yards and net yards. The 29 punts that landed inside the opponents 20-yard line were the most he’s landed in that range since 2012. So he’s obviously still able to produce.

It’s interesting to note that another Seahawk has been demanding a release for some time now. Earl Thomas must not have been thrilled to see his teammate’s request granted so easily while his has been ignored all offseason. The Seahawks have Dickson to replace Ryan, which is why he could be let go. However, no defensive back on the roster is anywhere near as skilled as Thomas.

Their game of chicken is getting a little ridiculous now, especially since the regular season is looming over us. No matter who gives in first, there is no chance of that situation ending as peacefully as Ryan’s did.