Giants released safety Logan Ryan, the team announced Thursday.
Ryan, 31, signed a one-year contract with the Giants as a free agent before the 2020 season and signed a three-year, $31 million extension with the team near the end of the 202o season.
This move will give Ryan an opportunity to join a contender, and according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the move saves the Giants $6.3 million.
In 2021, the nine-year veteran led the team through the first nine games with 72 tackles, 47 solo stops and two forced fumbles before he missed two games because of COVID. Ryan finished with a career-high 117 tackles and a team-best 77 unassisted tackles despite the absence. The former figure trailed only solo linebacker Tae Crowder, who finished with 130 stops (63 solo).
He previously played four seasons for the New England Patriots, for whom he played on two Super Bowl winners and three with the Tennessee Titans.
Ryan, a South Jersey native, entered the NFL as the Patriots’ third-round draft choice in 2013, from Rutgers. He played on the Patriots teams that defeated Seattle in Super Bowl XLIX and Atlanta in Super Bowl LI. Ryan joined the Titans as a free agent in 2017.
Ryan started all but one of the 31 games in which he played after joining the Giants in 2020. During that time, he totaled a team-high 209 tackles (144 solo) and added 17 passes defensed, 2.0 sacks, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and one interception. A cornerback for most of his career, Ryan started 28 games at safety for the Giants.
