Former Bills safety Taylor Rapp is continuing his NFL career with a team Buffalo could face for a spot in the Super Bowl this season.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on Monday that Rapp is signing with the Denver Broncos practice squad.
Rapp has spent seven seasons in the NFL, including four with the Los Angeles Rams before heading to Buffalo for the last three seasons.
Rapp Signed With Denver During Training Camp
The 28-year-old safety signed with the Broncos in the middle of August, but Denver then released him a week later. Broncos head coach Sean Payton explained why Rapp wasn’t with the team long in August.
“Taylor Rapp came in, spent some time with him — he needs a little time at home and [we] completely get what he’s needing,” Payton said on Aug. 26, via Jon Heath from Broncos Wire. “There’s a good chance, better than good chance — I know how he felt being here. So, sooner than later, that’s going to happen. This, obviously, took precedence.”
“Here’s what we know: we’ve played against him; he’s smart, which is a great trait to have as a safety,” Payton added. “He’s a good tackler. He can play down over the slot; he’s got versatility. This came up and it was something that obviously he needed to address.”
The Broncos did bring Rapp in for a workout on Friday, and they must’ve liked what they saw to sign him to their practice squad.
Denver will open its season on “Monday Night Football” when the Broncos head to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
Buffalo and Denver Played in the Playoffs Last Season
The Bills and Broncos have a recent history, and it came back in January during the AFC Divisional Round.
Buffalo entered Denver hoping to finally overcome the hurdle of not making the Super Bowl, especially since the Chiefs, who have eliminated the Bills in four of the last five postseasons, weren’t in the playoffs this year. However, Buffalo couldn’t get the job done.
Denver beat Buffalo 33-30 in overtime, and it changed a lot for the Bills. Buffalo fired head coach Sean McDermott two days after the game, and the main reason was the loss to Denver.
“My decision to bring in a new coach was based on the results of our game in Denver,” Bills owner Terry Pegula explained while speaking with reporters in January, via NFL.com’s Nick Shook. “I want to take you in the locker room after that game. I looked around. First thing I noticed was our quarterback with his head down, crying. I looked at all the other players. I looked at their faces and our coaches’. I walked over to Josh (Allen). He didn’t even acknowledge I was there.”
Buffalo promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach, and now he will have a chance to take down Denver this season. The Bills will travel to play the Broncos on Christmas Day
Ex-Bills 28-Year-Old Defender Joins AFC Rival Days Before Regular Season