The Minnesota Vikings wasted little time signing former Chicago Bears quarterback Brett Rypien after he became available, and Rypien wasted little time sharing his thoughts on the Windy City organization after departing.
Rypien was a casualty on Chicago’s journey to a 53-man roster, but found a home in Minneapolis almost immediately after that disappointment. The Vikings’ current depth chart now lists Rypien as the third-string QB behind Sam Darnold and Nick Mullens.
Producers of the HBO series “Hard Knocks,” which featured the Bears this summer, accompanied Rypien on his way out of town and asked him for his parting thoughts on the organization as he prepared to join one of its chief rivals.
“This team is gonna do special things this year,” Rypien said of the Bears. “There’s a lot of special people in that building.”
Brett Rypien Chose Vikings Over Returning to Bears Practice Squad
GettyFormer Chicago Bears quarterback Brett Rypien.
Rypien was one of those special people after trouncing the Houston Texans defense to the tune of 166 passing yards and 3 TDs on 11-of-15 passing on August 1.
However, as time went on, Tyson Bagent separated himself as the clear backup to the obvious starter Caleb Williams, whom the Bears selected with the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft.
There was a spot for Rypien on Chicago’s practice squad, but the veteran journeyman landed on Minnesota instead. There, he has a roster spot and a theoretically better chance to see meaningful playing time at some point during the upcoming season.
Darnold is a former No. 3 overall pick who has all but busted across three teams over six years in the league. He has the best chance he’s ever had to revive his career this year with the Vikings, but his body of work suggests that he will struggle a good amount even with a talented set of skill players around him.
Mullens has a bit more experience than Rypien as a starter, though the two have had similar career arcs. Mullens played in five games and started three for the Vikings last year, putting up 1,306 passing yards and 7 TDs in the process. However, he also threw 8 INTs and led the team to an 0-3 record.
Meanwhile, for his career, Rypien is 2-2 as a starter across 10 regular-season appearances. He has amassed 950 passing yards, 4 TDs and 9 INTs over that span, per Pro Football Reference.
Bears Now Banking on Tyson Bagent if Caleb Williams Struggles Mightily, Gets Injured This Season
GettyQuarterback Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears.
Meanwhile, in Chicago, the Bears are preparing for Williams’ first game as a professional.
The 22-year-old will start at home against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, September 8. He spoke about the rapidly-approaching challenge with media members on Wednesday.
“We’re not hunting ghosts of things they may run or may not run,” Williams said, per Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic. “They’ve got guys on the other side. Landry, 98 (Simmons), Sneed, Diggs from Seattle. … Noon on Sunday, we’ll be able to see what they’re actually doing.”
If Williams doesn’t see the game well for several outings in a row, or if he gets injured, it will fall to Bagent to lead the Bears in battle. He went 2-2 as the starter last season, throwing for 859 yards, 3 TDs and 6 INTs while rushing for 109 yards and 2 scores on 23 attempts.
With Rypien now in Minnesota as the third-string option, undrafted free agent quarterback Austin Reed is the sole QB on Chicago’s practice squad.
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Vikings QB Brett Rypien Shares Head-Turning Thoughts on Bears After Departure