GREEN BAY – The next chapter in Jake Ryan's comeback will happen in Duval.
After missing the entire 2018 season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, the former Packers linebacker signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday.
A fourth-round pick (129th overall) in 2015, Ryan made 213 tackles with three passes defensed, one sack and a forced fumble in 43 games (27 starts) with Green Bay.
The 6-foot-2, 240-pound linebacker was again slated to start alongside Blake Martinez again this past season before tearing the ACL in his right knee early in training camp.
Ryan told packers.com in January he's made significant progress in his recovery. While preaching patience with his rehab, Ryan was leaning on past experience after tearing his ACL as a junior at the University of Michigan.
Ryan's departure could open the door for second-year linebacker Oren Burks, the Packers' third-round pick out of Vanderbilt in 2018. Burks played primarily on special teams as a rookie, racking up 24 tackles in 14 games (four starts).
Safety Kentrell Brice also signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday. The former undrafted free agent had 99 tackles, one interception and a sack in 36 games (14 starts) with the Packers over three seasons.
