Ex-Vikings QB Could Be Asked to Save the Colts
Disaster struck for the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Daniel Jones suffered an Achilles injury and is believed to be out for the remainder of the season. Vikings fans are familiar with that scenario, as they had to watch a trio of backups share the QB position in the second half of the 2023 campaign, with Kirk Cousins picking up the same injury.
Ex-Vikings QB Could Be Asked to Save the Colts
Unfortunately for the Colts, backup Anthony Richardson remains out with an orbital fracture suffered in October. He would be in a prime position to redeem himself after the shaky start to his career, but he was robbed of that opportunity in the freak pre-game accident.
That leaves two healthy quarterbacks on the roster. Rookie Riley Leonard entered Sunday’s game for the injured Jones. The former Duke and Notre Dame quarterback gained a ton of experience in college. On Sunday, he completed 18 of 29 passes for 145 yards, throwing one interception, and rushing for a touchdown. It was his first extensive look in the NFL.
Leonard’s game wasn’t always pretty, but for a rookie sixth-rounder that was thrust into the spotlight for the first time in his pro career, it looked about as good as it could have. However, it is questionable whether he can carry the team into the playoffs.
Currently, the only other option besides some Tyler Warren or Jonathan Taylor wildcat shenanigans is to give veteran Brett Rypien a shot. Employed by the Vikings during the 2024 season, Rypien is now on Indy’s practice squad.
His chapter with the Vikings began after the 2024 preseason, when the decision-makers surprisingly waived Jaren Hall 18 months after drafting him, just to replace him with the journeyman veteran. Rypien was the emergency quarterback behind Sam Darnold and Nick Mullens for the entire season, until they swapped him for Daniel Jones ahead of the playoff game to secure the potential compensatory pick for Jones.
As Darnold and Jones departed, Rypien was the QB2 in the Twin Cities from the start of free agency until Sam Howell was acquired during the 2025 Draft. In the preseason, he disappointed, not only failing to unseat Howell but also being unable to fend off rookie Max Brosmer for QB3 duties, and ultimately was axed when the undrafted first-year passer outplayed him.
Then Rypien joined the Cincinnati Bengals and remained until they traded for Joe Flacco to save their season. Once fired, the Colts snagged him to replace Richardson, and he has been on their practice squad ever since.
Suddenly, Rypien is one snap (or a bad game for the rookie — which is certainly not unlikely) away from being asked to save the season for the Colts.
In March, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said about the veteran: “Brett Rypien, [is] somebody we brought in last offseason, we thought [he] made a lot of great decisions, quick decision-making, processing, better athlete than people give him credit for, accurate passer, so we’re excited about him.”
On his NFL resume, Rypien has four career starts (11 appearances), throwing for 950 yards, four touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He also already worked for the Broncos, Rams, Seahawks, Jets, Bears, Vikings, Bengals, and Colts.
Now 29 years old, Rypien just keeps getting these NFL jobs. He didn’t show much in the past preseason, but he lit it up in 2024 with the Bears. It’s unwise to expect him to be the new Andrew Luck, but desperate teams will try everything, and the Colts surely are desperate.
Don’t be shocked to see Rypien get some run at one point in the final four games of the season.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.