Jaguars expected to decline contract option for linebacker Jake Ryan

According to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, in addition to declining a team option on defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, the Jaguars are expected to decline the team option on linebacker Jake Ryan’s contract for the 2020 season.

Ryan was originally signed by the Jaguars in free agency last season two a two-year $7.5M contract with one million guaranteed. The second year of his contract was deemed a team-option year and would have given Ryan a base salary of $5.5M, for a total cap hit of $6.25M. The Jaguars will save $6M against their cap for the 2020 season by declining his option.

Ryan never played more than one down on defense this season as he battled through a setback to a torn ACL suffered with the Green Bay Packers in the 2018 preseason. After missing nearly the entire offseason and all of training camp, Ryan was placed on the team’s non-football injury list (NFI) for the first 11 weeks of the season. Ryan would go on to play in only two games, primarily on special teams, and had one defensive snap on the year.

The Jaguars will have saved ~$26M in cap space for the 2020 season by declining both Dareus and Ryan’s options. It is not yet known whether or not either player will return to the team on a cheaper deal, however the Jaguars will likely move on from Ryan entirely.

Jacksonville will have plenty of other options to save room not only for a potential contract extension or franchise tag on defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, but for other free agents as well. The Jaguars are very likely to tag Ngakoue after not coming to terms with a deal dating back to training camp of 2019. Ngakoue is expected to command a contract upwards to $22M as reported by ESPN’s Mike DiRocco this morning.