Brett Rypien’s latest NFL stop comes with an AFC South twist.
After a brief run with the Indianapolis Colts in 2025, Rypien is headed to the Houston Texans, according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter. His path there comes after another round of quarterback shuffling in Indianapolis, where the Colts cycled through multiple backups once injuries hit the position.
Rypien’s Colts stint ran from October 15 through December 22. He spent close to two weeks on the active roster and the rest of his time on the practice squad, and he never got into a game.
Houston is bringing him in because Graham Mertz was hurt and placed on injured reserve. Even so, Mertz was projected to be no more than QB3 if he made the roster at all.
The Texans’ depth chart still runs through C.J. Stroud as the starter and Davis Mills as the backup, which leaves Rypien fighting an uphill battle to stick.
That’s been the story of his career for a while now. Since signing with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2019, Rypien has been paid by nine different organizations. Three teams have paid him in 2025 alone.
He did get into one game last season with the Cincinnati Bengals, but the appearance was brief: one dropback and one sack. That sack is the only stat he has recorded since 2023.
The Texans may well be hoping Rypien lands on the practice squad, either theirs or someone else’s. At 30, he keeps finding work, even if it rarely comes with a real chance to play.
He has four career touchdown passes, nine career interceptions and a 59.9 passer rating, numbers that don’t point to a long-term starter. Still, he keeps hanging around the league, and one day, the move into coaching may be the next step.
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