The Minnesota Vikings chose to keep three quarterbacks when they set their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday: Sam Darnold, Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall. Hall, who is in his second year, played very well in the preseason games against the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles. He completed 19 out of 30 passes for 276 yards and scored four touchdowns. However, even with his good performance, ESPN‘s Kevin Seifert says the Vikings have now cut Hall and signed veteran quarterback Brett Rypien instead.
A surprise: the Vikings are signing QB Brett Rypien and waiving Jaren Hall. Another veteran behind Sam Darnold and Nick Mullens.
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) August 29, 2024
Vikings Add Veteran Quarterback, Brett Rypien
Rypien went undrafted in 2019 and was signed by the Denver Broncos. He then spent the 2019 season on the Broncos practice squad. After spending a season on the Broncos practice squad he became part of their 53-man roster in 2020. From 2020-2022 Rypien played eight games for the Broncos with three starts. During those games, he completed 80 of 130 passes for 778 yards, with four touchdowns and eight interceptions.
The Broncos decided to move on from Rypien after the 2022 season. He then signed with the Los Angeles Rams playing two games, and starting one, for them in 2023. In those two games, Rypien completed 18/38 passes for 172 yards and had one interception. Rypien was let go by the Rams at the end of the 2023 season.
During the 2024 offseason, Rypien signed with the Chicago Bears. In the preseason Rypien played in every game finishing 24/34 passing for 335 yards passing and three touchdowns. He also had 5 rushes for seven yards. His best preseason performance was against the Texans in the Hall of Fame game when he went 11/15 for 166 passing yards and three touchdowns.
The Vikings making this quarterback swap is a bit confusing because Rypien has already proven what he gives a team when starting. Hall only has two starts to his name. Although he didn’t look particularly good in one of his starts last season it seemed he showed some growth in the preseason. It seems the Vikings didn’t see it this way and wanted another veteran in the quarterback room. Ultimately, if the third-string quarterback ends up playing in a game it’s never a good thing.
Main Image: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
