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Brett Rypien

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/14/25

October 14th, 2025 at 7:55pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: G Karsen Barnhart, LB Garrett Nelson

Green Bay Packers

  • Released: K Mark McNamee

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed: OT Bayron Matos, QB Brett Rypien
  • Released: OT Marcellus Johnson

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

  • Signed: TE Marshall Lang
  • Released: DB Tyron Herring, TE Gee Scott Jr.

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

  • Released: G Tyler Cooper

With Anthony Richardson heading to injured reserve with an eye injury, the Colts are set to add some QB depth in veteran Brett Rypien, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The 29-year-old brings four games of starting experience to Indy, with his most recent start coming with the Rams in 2023. In total, Rypien has completed 58.3 percent of his career passes for 950 yards, four touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Riley Leonard will temporarily be the QB2 behind Daniel Jones, but there’s a chance Rypien eventually works his way up to the active roster.

The Chargers moved on from a notable edge defender today in Clelin Ferrell. The former Raiders first-round pick started all 17 games for the 49ers just two years ago, with the edge rusher finishing that campaign with 3.5 sacks and 13 QB hits. He started 10 of his 14 appearances with the Commanders in 2024, adding another 3.5 sacks to his resume. After being among Washington’s final preseason cuts, Ferrell caught on with the Chargers practice squad and ended up getting into one game with the big-league club.

The Eagles moved on from a pair of skill players today. Audric Estime was a fifth-round pick by the Broncos last year, with the running back compiling 337 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on 81 touches. He was waived by Denver back in August and landed on Philly’s practice squad. Javon Baker was a fourth-round pick by the Patriots in last year’s draft, but he was limited to a single catch in 11 games.

Bengals Cut Brett Rypien, Mike White

October 7th, 2025 at 2:15pm CST by Connor Byrne

After adding Joe Flacco to their quarterback room on Tuesday, the Bengals are moving on from a couple of other signal-callers. The team has cut Brett Rypien (via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network) and Mike White. To take White’s place on their practice squad, the Bengals signed defensive tackle Howard Cross III.

With injured starter Joe Burrow out for the foreseeable future, the Bengals will go forth with Flacco and Jake Browning as their options under center. They also have Sean Clifford on their practice squad. Flacco, acquired from the division-rival Browns, could make his Bengals debut as early as this Sunday against the Packers.

The 29-year-old Rypien signed with the Bengals after the Vikings released him late in the summer. He saw regular-season action with the Broncos and Rams earlier in his career and has gone 98 for 168 for 950 yards, four touchdowns, and nine interceptions in 11 games.

White, who spent most of last year on Buffalo’s practice squad, became a Bengal in mid-September after failing to beat out Mitchell Trubisky for the Bills’ No. 2 QB job during the summer. The short-lived Jets starter and ex-Dolphins backup has completed 199 of 324 attempts with nine TDs and 13 picks in 15 contests.

Cross, an undrafted free agent from Notre Dame, made his lone NFL appearance in Cincinnati’s loss to Minnesota in Week 3. He played nine defensive snaps and made one tackle in that game. The Bengals waived him last week, but they’re reuniting just a few days later.

Bengals To Promote QB Brett Rypien

September 16th, 2025 at 1:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Bengals have a pair of new passers on the practice squad. Brett Rypien is, to no surprise, now in position to handle backup duties behind Jake Browning.

Rypien is being promoted from the taxi squad to Cincinnati’s active roster, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Browning is set to handle starting duties while Joe Burrow recovers from toe surgery. Rypien will now take on QB2 responsibilities with Mike White and Sean Clifford on the practice squad.

Rypien has 10 regular season appearances and four starts to his name at the NFL level. The 29-year-old saw time with the Broncos for three seasons before spending last year with the Rams. Rypien inked a futures contract with the Vikings in January, setting him up to spend the offseason in Minnesota. Shortly before the campaign, however, the team made a number of QB moves.

That included the decision to trade away Sam Howell and sign Carson Wentz for the backup gig. Shortly after that took place, Rypien was released. The Boise State product had a short-lived stint on the open market, quickly signing with the Bengals on their practice squad. Burrow’s latest injury has now opened to door to a stint on Cincinnati’s active roster.

The Bengals sit at 2-0 to begin the year. The team’s offense is of course in danger of seeing a downturn in production without Burrow, however. While Browning prepares to take on the starting gig for the foreseeable future, Rypien will serve as the next passer in line.

Vikings To Release QB Brett Rypien

August 24th, 2025 at 12:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Vikings’ quarterback moves continue. Veteran Brett Rypien is being released, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports.

Minnesota swung a trade with the Eagles earlier today to send Sam Howell to Philadelphia. That move paved the way for Carson Wentz to be signed as the Vikings’ new backup. In the wake of those changes, Rypien is no longer in the picture.

The Vikings are prepared to move forward with J.J. McCarthy as their starter despite the fact he has yet to play in the regular season. Wentz – who visited yesterday and has 94 starts to his name – represents a highly experienced backup. Today’s news means undrafted rookie Max Brosmer will operate as Minnesota’s QB3 in 2025.

Rypien, meanwhile, will hit the open market as teams continue to sort out their rosters ahead of Tuesday’s deadline for roster cuts. The 29-year-old will be free to sign with an interested suitor once his release is official. It would come as a surprise, though, if that were to take place until after the approaching deadline. Today’s cut will free up $1.06MM in cap space for the Vikings without incurring any dead money charges.

A UDFA in 2019, Rypien began his NFL career with the Broncos. He remained in Denver through 2022, making three starts and eight appearances along the way. The Boise State product spent part of the following year with the Rams, making one start for Los Angeles. Rypien signed with Minnesota in 2024; he did not see any game time with the team but was retained via a futures deal in January.

That set up a competition with Brosmer for the third-string role, one which has now been decided. Brosmer is a candidate for the practice squad later this week, whereas Rypien’s future is now uncertain.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/15/25

January 15th, 2025 at 9:09pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s reserve/futures deals around the NFL:

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Vikings Sign Daniel Jones To Active Roster

January 7th, 2025 at 5:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

After spending more than a month on the Vikings’ practice squad, Daniel Jones is making the move up. Minnesota is signing the veteran quarterback to its 53-man roster.

To make room for the former Giants starter, the Vikings waived Brett Rypien. This marks the second time this year Rypien has been let go; the Bears released him in August. Rypien had resided on Minnesota’s active roster since signing with the team two days later.

As this is a true signing rather than a practice squad elevation, Jones would now net the Vikings a compensatory pick — depending on how Minnesota proceeds in free agency — in the 2026 draft, the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling notes. Jones would have been in line to fetch the Giants a comp pick, but the NFC East team forfeited that right by waiving him.

Talent-wise, Jones would make sense as the player who would be best suited to replace Sam Darnold in the event of an injury, but backup Nick Mullens has been in Kevin O’Connell‘s system for three seasons now. Mullens, however, went 0-3 as a Minnesota starter last season. Jones went 2-8 with the Giants this year, as far as wins and losses go, and did not come close to justifying the four-year, $160MM extension the Giants bailed on midway through. That said, Jones played efficiently in 2022 and is a former No. 6 overall pick. It would stand to reason this move to the 53 would position him as a player the Vikings would strongly consider using in an emergency.

For the first time in his career, Darnold has not missed a start during a season. Illnesses and injuries have plagued the former Jets No. 3 overall pick during his starter seasons, removing Darnold’s 2023 49ers stay from this equation. The former Jets and Panthers starter missed three games apiece in 2018 and ’19 and then was sidelined for four in 2020. A broken collarbone sidelined Darnold for much of the 2021 season, and a high ankle sprain — sustained after Baker Mayfield had beaten him out for Carolina’s QB1 gig — kept him out for much of the 2022 slate. Though, the Vikings have seen Darnold provide stability after J.J. McCarthy‘s season-ending knee injury.

While Darnold has transformed his free agency stock — to the point the Vikings may use the franchise tag to keep him off the market — Jones’ is rather murky. A thin QB crop, even factoring in Kirk Cousins‘ likely release, would stand to help the six-year Giants starter. But his injury past and mostly shaky track record (zero seasons north of 7.0 yards per attempt) will make teams hesitant. For now, he is in place as insurance on a 14-3 Vikings team. Free agency will loom soon after.

Vikings Sign QB Brett Rypien, Waive QB Jaren Hall

August 29th, 2024 at 9:58am CST by Adam La Rose

Brett Rypien has not needed to wait long to find a new gig. The veteran quarterback signed with the Vikings on Thursday, per a team announcement.

In a corresponding move, 2023 fifth-rounder Jaren Hall has been waived. Minnesota’s depth chart is still set at the top with Sam Darnold and Nick Mullens. In the wake of rookie J.J. McCarthy‘s season-ending season-ending meniscus surgery, though, the team looked into options for the third quarterback role. Matt Corral was briefly with the team, but he was among the Vikings’ initial roster cuts.

That move had Hall positioned to remain on the 53-man roster, but instead he will now hit the waiver wire. The BYU product made three appearances and two starts during his rookie season after Kirk Cousins‘ Achilles tear. Minnesota allowed Cousins to depart in free agency, adding Darnold on a one-year deal and moving up in the first round of the draft to select McCarthy. The Vikings have moved quickly in adding Rypien as a Hall replacement for the QB3 role.

Rypien was joined by Austin Reed in attempting land a spot with the Bears in 2024. Both passers wound up being cut, although the latter has since been signed to the practice squad. Rypien immediately became a free agent upon being released, a move which left him on the move yet again in his career. The 28-year-old made three starts during a span between 2020 and ’22 with the Broncos, but he has bounced around since that point. He has landed deals with the Rams, Seahawks and Jets in addition to the Bears pact in signed in March. Now, Rypien will look to carve out a role with his next NFC North team.

For Hall, meanwhile, the waiver process will allow teams to put in a claim if they are interested in adding him to their active rosters. Failing that, he will become a free agent eligible to re-sign with the Vikings or join a new team via a practice squad agreement. Minnesota general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said (via Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune) the team does indeed hope to keep the 26-year-old in place via the taxi squad. That move will be possible by the end of the week if no claim is put in.

Bears To Release QB Brett Rypien

August 27th, 2024 at 10:06am CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears’ quarterback hierarchy appeared set. At least, the team’s Nos. 1 and 2 spots did. One of the other options on Chicago’s roster entering cut day, Brett Rypien, will not be part of the team’s 53-man edition this afternoon.

Rypien received word he will be released, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. After four Broncos seasons, the former UDFA has become a journeyman. He has bounced from the Rams to the Seahawks to the Jets to the Bears in less than a year. Rypien is a vested veteran and will head straight to free agency.

Rypien, Caleb Williams and Austin Reed arrived as newcomers this offseason, as the Bears revamped their QB room. As the team builds around the No. 1 overall pick, its Justin Fields backup — Tyson Bagent — remains in its plans. The former Division II standout is on track to remain Chicago’s backup.

Adding Rypien on a one-year, $1.13MM deal, the Bears did not guarantee the former Broncos QB2 anything. Rypien, 28, would profile as a third-string option somewhere — especially now that the NFL’s attempt at changing the emergency third QB rule failed. Teams are no longer allowed to elevate a third-string quarterback an unlimited number of times, which stands to factor into clubs’ decisions today. Reed remains on the Bears’ roster, though it would be interesting if the team’s QB room consisted of two rookies and a 2023 UDFA from Division II.

The Rams released Rypien after he struggled in a start against the Packers, leading to Carson Wentz‘s re-emergence. Rypien has made four career starts, two of those in relief of Russell Wilson in 2022. He is 2-2 as a starter, carrying a 58.3% completion rate and just a 5.7 yards-per-attempt number. The Seahawks added Rypien to their practice squad following his Rams release, and the Jets reunited him with Nathaniel Hackett by signing him to their active roster weeks later.

Bears Committed To Tyson Bagent As Backup Quarterback

June 18th, 2024 at 3:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tyson Bagent made the rare climb from the Division II level to seeing rookie-year starts as a quarterback. Although the Bears have changed offensive play-callers since Bagent’s cameo in relief of Justin Fields, they remain committed to the former UDFA.

Chicago certainly changed up its QB room this offseason by making the unsurprising move to draft Caleb Williams first overall. The team added Brett Rypien, who is now entering his sixth NFL season. The Rypien move is not expected to affect Bagent’s status, with The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain noting there does not appear to be a competition for the Bears’ QB2 post (subscription required). As the only Bears QB returning from 2023, Bagent should not expect a change to his role.

Rypien could settle in as Chicago’s emergency third QB. Another tweak to the NFL’s rule involving emergency passers will allow teams to stash their emergency option on the practice squad and elevate that player continually. Teams will not need to pass their QB3s through waivers. Waivers would not apply to Rypien, who is a vested veteran, but the Bears would take a risk if they kept Rypien and exposed Bagent to waivers come August. But based on how the Bears structured their reps during their offseason program, Fishbain points to a clear Williams-Bagent-Rypien hierarchy — with Rypien on the practice squad as the emergency QB — being in place.

Bagent beat out both P.J. Walker and Nathan Peterman to be Fields’ top backup last year. His early work, as could be expected, featured some stumbles. While Bagent averaged only six yards per attempt and closed his four-game starter offering with three touchdown passes and six interceptions, the Bears did win two games with the Shepherd alum at the controls. Bagent also completed 65.7% of his passes, though he has been tasked with developing in new OC Shane Waldron‘s system.

Chicago added Rypien on a one-year, $1.1MM deal that includes no guaranteed money. The former Broncos backup spent the 2023 season with three teams. The Rams waived him after a rough start in Green Bay, and he made his way to the Seahawks’ practice squad — under then-Seattle OC Waldron — before the QB-needy Jets plucked him for their 53-man roster to close the season.

The Bears are currently carrying four QBs on their 90-man offseason roster. Rookie UDFA Austin Reed represents the least experienced option; he appears to be vying for a P-squad gig. The 16-man taxi squad era (since 2020) has given teams more flexibility, but even with the expanded P-squads and the recently reimplemented emergency-QB rule, carrying four passers has not been standard practice. Reed and Rypien may well be competing for one spot.

Reed spent the past two seasons as Western Kentucky’s starter, taking over for Bailey Zappe in the Hilltoppers’ pass-happy system. Reed’s numbers did not match Zappe’s record-setting 2021 slate — though, he did throw 71 TD passes from 2022-23 — but he did enough to convince the Bears to add him post-draft. It would still be a stretch for the Bears to use two young UDFAs as Williams’ backups; Rypien’s experience would stand to benefit him given the current Chicago QB room’s makeup.

Bagent can be retained on a rookie deal, through the ERFA and RFA channels, through 2026. The Bears could form a steady QB1-QB2 arrangement for a few years, should the second-year player keep impressing as the backup arm. Training camp represents Bagent’s next window to do so, but barring a significant step back, it appears the backup gig is his to lose.

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