With his first big splash as the general manager of the New York Jets, Joe Douglas went out and got himself a center. The Jets agreed to terms with former Carolina Panther Ryan Kalil on a one-year deal worth up to $8.4 million on Thursday.
New York seemed content with de facto starter Jonotthan Harrison, but behind the scenes, Douglas was working tirelessly for seven weeks to get Kalil to unretire.
On Thursday afternoon, the Jets upgraded the center position big time, even if Kalil has experienced a bit of a decline since a significant neck injury in 2017. The key to Douglas’ Super Bowl run with the Eagles started in the trenches and he seems to be attempting to emulate that by getting Sam Darnold his own Jason Kelce.
With that said, let’s get to know the Jets’ newest addition to the offensive line.
USC grad, big fan of Sam Darnold
Ryan Kalil played college football at the University of Southern California, where he was a member of two national championship teams, was named a first-team All-American and won the 2006 Morris Trophy.
Being a USC product, Kalil is a huge fan of Sam Darnold, and that helped play a role in him coming out of retirement, according to Connor Hughes of The Athletic.
Career Accolades
Ryan Kalil is one of the better centers of his generation.
He was drafted in the second round of the 2007 NFL draft and became a fixture on the Carolina Panthers offensive line up until his retirement. Kalil is a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro. He will one day join the Panthers’ Hall of Honor, but that will be put on hold as he continues his playing career for the Jets.
Brother in the NFL
Ryan Kalil’s brother, Matt, is currently an offensive tackle for the Houston Texans. The younger Kalil also graduated from USC and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings.
After inconsistent play, Matt signed a five-year, $55 million deal to unite with his brother in Carolina. Matt’s Panther career was marred with struggles even though he started 16 games in 2017. At the beginning of 2018, he underwent a knee scope and was later released earlier this offseason. Matt then signed with the Texans.
The Kalil brothers were the third set of brothers to play on the same offensive line in the NFL and the first set of brothers to do it in 24 years.
Interest in the Film Industry
Ryan Kalil’s interest in the film industry goes back to his days at USC.
He worked with fellow USC-alumnus Will Ferrell on a football training spoof for NFL Network. He also served as an executive producer on a Dwayne Johnson movie and helped finance a graphic novel into production.
Kalil’s retirement has been put on hold, but it appears he has a life ready for him after football.
Recent Decline
Ryan Kalil’s decline from being an All-Pro began in 2016 when he injured his shoulder and was subsequently placed on injured reserve.
In 2017, he only started six games and missed the rest of the season due to a significant neck injury. Between being banged up and age, father time caught up to Kalil in 2018. While he figured his body was ready for retirement, the Jets called and Kalil felt the itch. Now, both parties are hopeful he’ll have a clean bill of health in 2019.
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