The Texans are adding another quarterback to the mix after losing Graham Mertz for the season with a torn ACL, with Aaron Wilson reporting that Houston is signing Brett Rypien.
Rypien, 30, has spent the past several years bouncing through the league since going undrafted out of Boise State in 2019. His first NFL deal came with Denver, where he signed a three-year, $1.755 million contract with the Broncos. From there, the path kept moving: waived after preseason, brought back to the practice squad, promoted to the active roster, waived again, and cycled back through the taxi squad and practice squad before another cut coming out of training camp.
Denver ultimately chose not to give Rypien a restricted free-agent tender in 2023, and that opened the door to a run of stops around the league. He joined the Rams in May, was cut after preseason, then landed back on their practice squad before later moving on to Seattle. The Jets then signed him off the Seahawks’ practice squad in November.
After that came a one-year deal with the Bears, though he did not make it through final cuts after training camp. In January of 2025, he signed with the Vikings, but that stay ended near the close of camp. Cincinnati picked him up for its practice squad, promoted him to the active roster, and then cut him in October.
Rypien also spent time with the Colts, first on the practice squad and then on the active roster before being waived in December. In 2025, he appeared in one game for the Bengals.
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