Bears’ Recently Cut QB Signs to NFC North Rival’s Active Roster

Brett Rypien might have missed the cut with the Chicago Bears, but he didn’t have to wait long to get another chance elsewhere in the NFC North.

According to the team’s transaction wire for August 29, the Minnesota Vikings signed Rypien to their 53-man roster as their new third-string quarterback and waived quarterback Jaren Hall — a 2023 fifth-round pick — in a corresponding move.

Rypien signed with the Bears in March and spent training camp battling with Tyson Bagent and undrafted rookie Austin Reed for one of the backup spots behind No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams on the depth chart. While he completed 24 of 34 passes for 335 yards and 3 touchdowns in four preseason games, the Bears released him at the cutdown deadline and chose to bring back Reed on the practice squad instead of him.

Now, Rypien will add depth for the Vikings behind starting quarterback Sam Darnold. The Vikings also have veteran Nick Mullens in the mix, but they will not be able to call upon No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy, who will miss his entire rookie season in 2024 after tearing his right meniscus during the team’s preseason opener against Las Vegas.

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Bears Prefer to Develop Austin Reed Over Brett Rypien

Rypien’s release at the August 27 roster cutdown deadline should not have come as a surprise. Most projections had the Bears keeping only two quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster (which they did), and Williams and Bagent had firmly secured their spots as the Nos. 1 and 2 quarterbacks on the depth chart, respectively, before cut day.

What is a little surprising, though, is that the Bears opted to re-sign Reed to their practice squad as their No. 3 quarterback instead of Rypien — who demonstrated great poise and a good command over Shane Waldron’s offense throughout the 2024 preseason.

To his credit, Reed also looked good for the Bears during his limited preseason action. He completed 12 of his 16 passes for 123 yards and threw a third-down touchdown pass in the team’s preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs from six yards out. The only question about him was whether the Bears wanted a more seasoned pro in their ranks behind Williams, a rookie, and Bagent, a second-year former undrafted talent.

Evidently, they did not, and now Reed will have an opportunity to continue developing in the Bears’ quarterback room. Meanwhile, Rypien will move on to Minnesota, where he might have a chance to move up the depth chart in a less-settled quarterback room.

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Tyson Bagent’s Growth Earned Him Top Backup Job

Skepticism about Bagent’s status made headlines during the offseason. Not only did the Bears change offensive coordinators from Luke Getsy to Waldron, but they also moved on from former starting quarterback Justin Fields in favor of Williams, creating the perception that Chicago might want a more accomplished backup behind their rookie.

Naturally, the uncertainty about Bagent led many sportswriters at places such as ESPN and Bleacher Report to speculate about who the Bears could target as a veteran backup for Williams — with Ryan Tannehill prevailing as the most commonly suggested option.

The Bears’ decision not to add an established veteran starter, however, spoke volumes about their enduring confidence in Bagent’s abilities. They signed Rypien and Reed, but neither entered training camp with any sort of edge over Bagent after he started four games in 2023 in relief of Fields — and Bagent’s demonstrated growth did the rest.

Bagent went 17-of-25 passing for 207 yards and two touchdowns in his four preseason performances, finishing with a 119.9 quarterback rating and scoring a diving 5-yard rushing touchdown to boot in the finale against the Chiefs. More importantly, he played with the confidence and sharp decision-making of a veteran, looking more than capable of holding down the top backup job behind Williams and being an asset for Chicago.

Even if the Bears did have free agent options to consider outside of Tannehill, it is hard to imagine they would want anyone other than Bagent backing up Williams — and that’s a testament to Bagent’s offseason growth and dedication to learning a new NFL system.

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