With Drew Lock (shoulder) out for a little while and Jeff Driskel proving ineffective, the Denver Broncos seemed on track to have their third starting quarterback of the season. It has now been confirmed. On Tuesday, NFL Network’s James Palmer reported Brett Rypien will make his first NFL start Thursday night against the New York Jets.
Broncos head coach Vic Fangio suggested Driskel could play some on Thursday night (what’s that they say about having two quarterbacks?). But, in the same breath, Rypien “deserves a chance.” The newly signed Blake Bortles was not mentioned, probably because Thursday will mark a week since the Broncos officially added him.
What should you know about Brett Rypien?
Rypien was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Boise State by the Broncos in 2019, and he spent much of last season on the practice squad. His first regular season action came last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as he went 8-for-9 for 53 yards with an interception.
Rypien was a four-year starter at Boise State, with a 37-12 record, 90 touchdown passes and 29 interceptions. He completed 64 percent of his passes, while averaging 8.4 yards per attempt. He is the all-time passing leader in Mountain West Conference history, with 13,578 yards.
If you’re a certain age of football fan but don’t necessarily follow college football, Rypien’s last name may be familiar. His uncle Mark Rypien was a two-time Super Bowl winner with the team that was then called the Washington Redskins. He had a five-season run (1989-1993) as the starter for Washington, highlighted by being named MVP of Super Bowl XXVI after the 1991 season.
Thursday night’s Broncos-Jets game looks likely to be a significant setback for modern offensive football, on the national stand-alone stage no less. But Rypien making his first NFL start is at least sort of interesting.
