The Tampa Bay Buccaneers moved quickly to add another quarterback to their roster after an injury to starter Baker Mayfield in Week 3.
“Bucs are signing veteran QB Brett Rypien to their practice squad, giving them a third healthy quarterback while Baker Mayfield is sidelined,” Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman wrote on his official X account on Tuesday.
“He played for Rams in 2023 when (Bucs offensive coordinator) Zac Robinson was the QBs coach there, so has some familiarity with the offense … New Bucs backup QB Brett Rypien is a lot like Easton Stick — has been in the NFL since 2020, took three snaps with Bengals last year. He’s 30, has a 2-2 record as an NFL starter, four career TDs, nine INTs. First career passes came against Bucs in 2020.”
“Confirming Bucs are signing veteran QB Brett Rypien to their practice squad after visiting with him today. Rypien knows the offense, having played for Rams in 2023 when Zac Robinson was the QBs coach,” Tampa Bay Times NFL reporter Rick Stroud wrote on his official X account on Tuesday.
Mayfield is projected to miss at least the next 3 games with a thumb injury suffered in a Week 3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels will start in his place against the Green Bay Packers in Week 4.
Brett Rypien Last Spent Time With Houston Texans
Rypien signed a free-agent contract with the Houston Texans on August 15 after backup quarterback Graham Mertz tore his ACL in a preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night.
The Texans released him on August 26.
“The Texans are signing veteran quarterback Brett Rypien after a season-ending knee injury suffered by third quarterback Graham Mertz, per a league source,” NFL reporter Aaron Wilson wrote on his official X account on Saturday.
“Rypien, 30, has played for multiple NFL teams, including the Minnesota Vikings, Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals last season. Rypien has previous stints with the Chicago Bears, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos. A former Boise State standout and the nephew of former NFL quarterback Mark Rypien, Rypien has completed 58.3 percent of his career passes for 950 yards, four touchdowns and nine interceptions. He has a 2-2 record as a starter. At Boise State, he passed for 13,581 yards and 90 touchdowns.”
Looking Back on Rypien’s Time as Starter in Denver
Rypien, the nephew of Super Bowl-winning quarterback Mark Rypien, was a 4-time All-MWC selection at Boise State and the MWC Offensive Player of the Year before going undrafted in 2019.
Rypien threw for 13,581 yards, 90 touchdowns, and 29 interceptions in college and eventually made the Broncos as an undrafted free agent. Rypien lasted 4 seasons with the Broncos, going 1-2 as a starter.
After being released by the Broncos following the 2022 season, he spent 2023 with the Rams, Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets before finding a home with the Vikings in 2024.
Rypien is 2-2 as an NFL starter with 950 passing yards, 4 touchdowns and 9 interceptions, along with a staggering 7 fumbles. He spent all of the 2025 season with the Indianapolis Colts.
Bucs Move Quickly to Sign Former Broncos QB