Former Denver Broncos quarterback Brett Rypien is once again searching for an NFL landing spot after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released him from their practice squad on Tuesday.
The move, reported by insider Aaron Wilson, came less than a month after Rypien signed with the Bucs on September 30 as insurance while Baker Mayfield recovered from a dislocated thumb suffered in Week 3.
Rypien never took a snap for Tampa Bay, as the team elevated fellow veteran Easton Stick for the three games Mayfield missed, then brought their starter back for Sunday’s win over the Carolina Panthers.
With Mayfield healthy, the Buccaneers used the practice-squad opening on running back Barika Kpeenu instead.
For Broncos fans, the news revives memories of Rypien’s improbable rise in Denver.
The Boise State product arrived as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and spent four seasons with the franchise, appearing in eight games and earning three starts between 2020 and 2022. His first opportunity came on October 1, 2020, against the New York Jets.
Filling in for an injured Drew Lock, the then-24-year-old completed 19 of 31 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-28 victory, even while throwing three interceptions. That performance showed both the arm talent and the turnover issues that would define much of his time under center.
Rypien’s most memorable stretch came late in 2022, when Russell Wilson’s injuries opened the door for two starts.
On December 18 against the Arizona Cardinals at Empower Field at Mile High, he completed 21 of 26 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown in a 24-15 win, providing a steady hand while the offense found its footing.
Across his Broncos career he finished 80 of 130 for 778 yards, four touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Those numbers never suggested franchise-quarterback upside, yet they reflected a reliable developmental option who could step in and manage games when needed.
Since leaving Denver after the 2022 season, Rypien has bounced between the Rams, Vikings, Bengals, Colts, Texans and now the Buccaneers. The brief Tampa Bay stop carried a familiar connection: offensive coordinator Zac Robinson had worked with him on the Rams in 2023.
Still, the quarterback never progressed beyond the practice squad once Mayfield returned. For a team now led by Bo Nix, whose recent breakout performances have stabilized the starting job, Rypien’s release is unlikely to spark any reunion talk.
At 30 years old and with a career line of 950 yards, four touchdowns and nine interceptions across 11 games and four starts, he remains a low-cost veteran depth piece for any club dealing with injury or seeking practice-squad experience.
His path from undrafted long shot to occasional Broncos starter continues to illustrate the thin margins of the quarterback position in the modern NFL.
