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Jonathan Robert Ryan (born November 26, 1981) is a Canadian former professional football player who was a punter in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played university football for the Regina Rams, and began his professional career in the CFL with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers after being selected in the 2004 CFL draft. He also played in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers and was a member of the Seattle Seahawks for ten seasons.
On April 8, 2025, Ryan was announced as an inductee to the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2025Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2025. He is the first Saskatchewan player to win a Super Bowl.
Ryan was a member of the Sheldon-Williams team that defeated the Evan Hardy Souls 41–7 to capture the 1999 Saskatchewan High School provincial championship. Ryan and Evan Hardy running back Jeff Piercy would both go on to play in the CFL in the years following that game.
He then attended the University of Regina, where he played both punter and wide receiver for the Regina Rams football team from 2000 to 2003. During his second season with the Rams, he caught a 109-yard touchdown pass, and led the team in receiving, in addition to his kicking duties. After his fourth year with the Rams, Ryan picked up several team awards, including Best Special Teams Player, Top Scorer and Most Valuable Player. He was also named a first-team Canada West All-Star, and a CIS All-Star. Ryan also ran track for the University of Regina.
During the 2005 season, Ryan led the league with a 50.6 yard average, while punting the most out of all league punters, 118 times. NFL talk buzzed around Ryan's future, while midway through the year, there was also speculation that Ryan may take over the kicking duties as well from aging veteran Troy Westwood.
During training camp in 2006 he found out his father, Bob, was diagnosed with terminal cancer and he persevered through a tough season, which included punting in a game two days after his father's death. His teammates voted him as the recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award in 2006 for his display of courage and sportsmanship, and for being an inspiration in the locker room. On September 10, he made his NFL debut against the Chicago Bears. In the 26–0 loss, he finished with six punts for 270 net yards for a 45.00 average. Overall, in the 2006 season, he finished with 84 punts for 3,739 net yards for a 44.51 average.
On September 30, 2007, against the Minnesota Vikings he became the first Packers punter to rush for a first down since David Beverly did so against the Houston Oilers on December 14, 1980. His rush attempt that resulted in a gain of 7 yards came on a fake punt that was originally intended to be a pass, however, he did not hear the coaches call it off at the last minute. He ran with the ball when he realized he had no one to throw to and ran into several of his blockers in the process because they did not know he was running with the ball.
On December 23, 2007, Ryan had two of his punts blocked by the Chicago Bears, including one that was returned for a touchdown. He also had a nine-yard punt during the game and bobbled a snap on another that lead to a turnover on downs. Before this, the Packers went 929 punts without a blocked punt, dating back to September 11, 1995.
On December 30, 2007, during a 34–13 victory over the Detroit Lions, Ryan kicked a 72-yard punt in the fourth quarter, the longest punt at Lambeau Field since Don Chandler's 90 yard punt in 1965. The punt tied for the second longest in franchise history - set by Sean Landeta September 20, 1998, at Cincinnati.
During the 2007 season, Ryan posted a net average of 37.6 yards, 12th in the NFL and the finest in Green Bay since 1969. His gross mark of 44.4 was the fourth-best in club history.
Ryan was released by the Packers on September 1, 2008.
After the season ended, Ryan signed a six-year, $9.1 million contract with $1.9 million guaranteed and $1.6 million in signing bonus.
Ryan played in the final game of the 2010 regular season against the St. Louis Rams and landed a punt on the two-yard line on the fly towards the end of the first quarter. Later, in the fourth quarter, he pinned the Rams inside of their own 10-yard line again, this time kicking it down to the seven-yard line. His efforts helped the Seahawks secure the final playoff spot remaining in the 2010 NFL season. He won NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. This marked the first time that a team with a losing record (7–9) has made the NFL playoffs as a Division Champion (NFC West). Overall, in the 2010 season, he finished with 78 punts for 3,254 net yards for a 41.72 average.
On February 2, 2014, Ryan became the first player from Saskatchewan to win the Super Bowl when the Seahawks defeated the Denver Broncos 43–8 in Super Bowl XLVIII.
In the third quarter of the , in which the Seahawks were trailing 16–0, Ryan threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Garry Gilliam on a fake field goal. He is 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 quarterback Mark Rypien in 1993. The Seahawks ultimately won the NFC Championship by a score of 28–22 and advanced to their second straight Super Bowl. In Super Bowl XLIX, Ryan finished with six punts for 269 net yards for a 42.33 average.
In Week 4, Ryan won NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. In Week 15, against the Los Angeles Rams, Ryan rushed for 26 yards and a first down on a fake play but was injured on the play. Overall, in the 2016 season, he finished with 71 punts for 3,126 net yards for a 44.03 average.
After the CFL canceled the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ryan chose to opt-out of his contract with the Roughriders on August 25, 2020. He re-signed with the Roughriders on February 10, 2021.
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Ryan became a co-owner of the West Coast League's Portland Pickles in 2017 and of the American Association of Professional Baseball's Cleburne Railroaders in 2021.
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