The Buccaneers moved quickly to shore up their quarterback room Tuesday, signing Brett Rypien to the practice squad as Baker Mayfield is expected to miss at least three games with a dislocated thumb.
Rypien, who is the nephew of former Washington Redskins quarterback Mark Rypien, visited One Buccaneer Place on Tuesday before Tampa Bay made the move official. NFL insider Aaron Wilson first reported the visit on X.
The timing fits the Bucs’ current plan. Tampa Bay is set to start backup quarterback Jalon Daniels, an undrafted free agent, on Sunday against the Packers as the team continues searching for its first win of the season. With Mayfield sidelined, Easton Stick will be elevated from the practice squad to back up Daniels.
Stick, 30, has played in only two NFL seasons, both with the Chargers in 2020 and 2023. He went 0-4 in four starts in 2023 and has completed 111 of 174 passes for 1,129 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
Bucs coach Todd Bowles signaled this kind of move was coming during Monday’s press conference.
“Either a veteran or a practice squad one in that span,” Bowles said. “We’ll go with Jalon, and we’ll go play, and we’ll see what’s out there that we can bring in to help out on the practice squad or help out on the team.”
Rypien arrives with more NFL runway than most emergency options. He played at Boise State, went undrafted in 2019, and signed with the Broncos as a free agent.
In Denver, he made his regular-season debut in 2020, appearing in three games and making one start while throwing for 295 yards and two touchdowns on 27-of-40 passing. He also saw limited action in 2021 before getting another chance to start in 2022, when he played in four games and made two starts, finishing with 323 passing yards and two touchdowns.
His next stop was Los Angeles in 2023, where he joined the Rams and worked with current Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, then the Rams quarterbacks coach. Rypien appeared in two games and made one start that season, going 13-of-28 for 172 yards and one touchdown. He later spent time with the Seahawks and Bengals organizations.
In all, Rypien has appeared in 11 regular-season games and made four starts, giving Tampa Bay a veteran arm with experience both in backup duty and in-game action.
The Bucs had considered Rypien for a QB3 role in 2024, but ultimately went with former Rams quarterback John Wolford instead.
In Other News...
Vikings Win May Have Changed The Buccaneers Season Fast
Baker Mayfields thumb injury has put the Buccaneers in an early-season spot they hoped to avoid after a Week 3 matchup with the Vikings that now carries more weight than the final score. Mayfield suffered a dislocated thumb and is expected to miss at least three weeks, leaving Tampa Bay to move ahead without its starting quarterback while the offense adjusts on the fly.
Rookie backup Jalon Daniels finished the game after Mayfield went down and now steps into the spotlight as the fill-in. Todd Bowles and Bruce Arians have both weighed in publicly on the injury and on Mayfields playing style, adding another layer to a situation that could quickly shape how the Buccaneers navigate the next stretch of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Offense Just Took Another Hit They Couldnt Afford
The Buccaneers offense has already been stretched thin by Baker Mayfields thumb injury, and now it has taken another hit with wide receiver Jalen McMillan expected to miss 6-8 weeks after an MRI revealed a sprained PCL. Tampa Bay has been trying to keep its attack afloat without its starting quarterback, and losing another key pass catcher only adds to the pressure on a unit that has had to absorb one setback after another.
McMillans injury is a frustrating one for both the team and the player, especially with his early career already marked by missed time. For a Buccaneers offense trying to stay steady while Mayfield is out for at least three weeks, the timing could hardly be worse, and it leaves even more uncertainty around how the group will hold up in the coming stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Make Necessary Roster Move To Avoid A Safety Depth Squeeze
The Buccaneers made a practical early-season move at safety by signing Ifeatu Melifonwu to a one-year contract after using him on the practice squad and elevating him for the first three games. With the NFL limiting how many times a player can be elevated from the practice squad, Tampa Bay had to get Melifonwu onto the active roster if it wanted to keep him in the mix.
A roster spot cleared up with wide receiver Jalen McMillan likely headed to injured reserve, giving the Bucs the flexibility to make the switch without creating another squeeze elsewhere. For a team trying to manage its depth carefully in the opening stretch, keeping Melifonwu around became the priority, and the timing of McMillans status made the move possible. [Read more 🡒]