The Vikings have made a change to their quarterback room ahead of Monday’s game against the Rams.
There is a shake-up in the Minnesota Vikings quarterback room ahead of Monday’s wild card game against the Los Angeles Rams.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Daniel Jones has been signed to the Vikings’ active roster. The Vikings waived QB Brett Rypien in a corresponding move to open up the roster spot. Jones will likely serve as the emergency third quarterback on the Vikings’ gameday roster behind Sam Darnold and Nick Mullens.
This is a move that has been expected for weeks. Jones was signed to the Vikings’ practice squad shortly after being released by the Giants on Nov. 22. There was speculation that signing Jones would help the Vikings get a compensatory pick in 2026.
Jones had to be signed to the active roster to be part of the compensatory pick formula. If he leaves via free agency this spring, he will count towards any potential compensatory pick the Vikings would get in 2026.
It was a low-risk move for both the Vikings and Jones. As a former top-10 pick, he helps strengthen the quarterback room. And because Darnold and Mullens have had success under Kevin O’Connell, there wouldn’t be pressure to thrust Jones into the starting lineup if he wasn’t ready.
For Jones, joining the Vikings allowed him to sit back and be coached by one of the league’s best coaches. He could have signed with a QB-needy team, played and failed, and hurt future opportunities around the league.
Instead, he followed what Darnold did in 2023. After a disastrous start to his career, Darnold signed with the 49ers, who have a strong offensive coaching staff. He sat on the bench behind Brock Purdy and learned how to be a professional quarterback. Whether he stays in Minnesota or elsewhere, Darnold’s career trajectory has changed going into 2025.
Jones has taken the first step in altering his quarterback journey. Meanwhile, the Vikings can help their future draft capital while also strengthening their QB room and future draft capital.
The Vikings waived ex-Broncos QB Brett Rypien and the Rams signed ex-Denver RB Royce Freeman on Tuesday.
A pair of former Denver Broncos players hit the NFL’s transaction wire on Tuesday.
First, former Broncos backup quarterback Brett Rypien was waived by the Minnesota Vikings to make room for Daniel Jones to be activated to the active roster from the practice squad. If he clears waivers, Rypien might be a candidate to re-sign on Minnesota’s practice squad.
Rypien, 28, signed with Denver as an undrafted free agent out of Boise State following the 2019 NFL draft. He spent four years with the Broncos, going 2-1 as a fill-in starter. Rypien has since spent time with the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets, Chicago Bears and Vikings.
The second move involving an ex-Denver player today was running back Royce Freeman joining the Rams. Just one day after having his contract terminated by the Bears, Freeman quickly landed on L.A.’s practice squad.
LA Rams Roster Moves:
• Reserve/Injured RB Blake Corum
• Activated, from Reserve; Designated for Return S John Johnson III
• Signed Practice Squad Veteran RB Royce Freeman
• Terminated (by Club) from Practice Squad S Quindell Johnson pic.twitter.com/okfCNYXxvE
The Broncos lead the all-time series against the Buccaneers 7-3.
The Denver Broncos head into their Week 3 matchup in Florida against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looking to improve their 0-2 record.
Rookie quarterback Bo Nix is seeking his first passing touchdown of the season, and the Denver offense looks to kickstart against a very difficult Bucs defense that defeated the reigning NFC champion Detroit Lions in Week 2.
These two teams have met ten times prior, and the Broncos have dominated the all-time series 7-3.
The Bucs and Broncos last met during the COVID-19-affected season in 2020. Denver featured two quarterbacks during the game, Jeff Driskel and Brett Rypien against future Pro Football Hall of Famer Tom Brady.
Broncos quarterbacks went a combined 25-of-39 passing for 229 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, while Brady went 25-of-38 for 297 yards and three touchdowns. Denver lost to the eventual Super Bowl champions, 28-10.
Before that, the Broncos defeated the Bucs 27-7 in 2016.
Denver will look to right the ship of the past two games and find its offensive rhythm against Tampa Bay in the first of a two-game road trip this weekend.
Bo Nix is the Denver Broncos’ 14th starting quarterback since Peyton Manning’s retirement. Here’s the full list.
The Denver Broncos have been in football purgatory following Peyton Manning’s retirement from the NFL.
Manning played in Denver from 2012-2015, posting a 45-12 record as the team’s starter. The Broncos won the AFC West in all four of Manning’s seasons and they reached two Super Bowls.
After winning Super Bowl 50, Manning retired during the 2016 offseason. Denver spent the last nine years searching for a replacement. Broncos fans now have hope that Bo Nix will finally break the team’s post-Manning quarterback curse.
Nix, who was picked by Denver in the first round of the NFL draft in April, will become the Broncos’ 14th starting quarterback since Manning’s retirement. Here’s the full list.
Broncos starting quarterbacks since Peyton Manning
Siemian was the team’s only full-time starter to post a winning record, but he wasn’t a franchise quarterback. Here’s a quick look back at each QB.
1. Trevor Siemian: 13-11
(Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports)
Denver’s most successful quarterback since Manning’s retirement (in terms of record), Siemian nearly reached the playoffs in his first season under center. After spending last year as a backup with the New York Jets, Siemian is now a free agent.
2. Paxton Lynch: 1-3
(Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports)
One of the biggest busts in franchise history, Lynch went on to have unsuccessful stints in the CFL, USFL and XFL after falling out of the NFL in 2019. He’s currently a free agent.
3. Brock Osweiler: 0-4
(Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports)
Osweiler was an important player for the Broncos during their Super Bowl 50 run as he filled in well for an injured Manning during the 2015 season. Osweiler’s second stint with the team did not go well, though, and he retired from the NFL in 2019.
4. Case Keenum: 6-10
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
Keenum had an unremarkable one-year run with the Broncos in 2018. He’s now a backup with the Houston Texans.
5. Joe Flacco: 2-6
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Flacco joined the Broncos in 2019 and he didn’t last long in Denver. He’s now a backup with the Indianapolis Colts.
6. Brandon Allen: 1-2
(Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports)
Allen started three games in 2019 when Flacco and Drew Lock were recovering from injuries. Allen is now a backup with the San Francisco 49ers.
7. Jeff Driskel: 0-1
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
Driskel started one game when Lock was injured in 2020 and it didn’t go well. He’s now a backup with the Washington Commanders.
8. Brett Rypien: 2-1
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
Rypien started one game in the place of an injured Lock and two games in the place of an injured Russell Wilson. He is now a backup with the Chicago Bears.
9. Drew Lock: 8-13
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Lock had moments of strong play in Denver, but his turnovers often proved to be costly. He was sent to Seattle as part of the Wilson trade and he spent two years as a backup with the Seahawks. Lock is now a backup with the New York Gitans.
10. Kendall Hinton/Phillip Lindsay: 0-1
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
When all four of Denver’s quarterbacks were ruled ineligible to play in Week 12 of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 policy, wide receiver Kendall Hinton was called up from the practice squad to play quarterback that week. Technically, the Broncos had Lindsay line up in a Wild Cat formation for the first play, so Hinton was not officially credited with a QB start, but he was Denver’s QB that day.
Hinton and Lindsay are now both out of the NFL.
11. Teddy Bridgewater: 7-7
(Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports)
Bridgewater was one of Denver’s best quarterbacks since the Manning era, but it still wasn’t enough for the Broncos to get back into playoff contention. After backup stints with the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions, Bridgewater retired from the NFL in February. He now coaches high school football in Miami.
12. Russell Wilson: 11-19
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
The Broncos paid a king’s ransom to acquire Wilson from the Seahawks in 2022 and he ended up starting just 30 games in Denver. Wilson went 4-11 in 2022 and 7-8 in 2023. Payton took on the largest dead money cap hit in NFL history to move on from Wilson this spring. He now plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
13. Jarrett Stidham: 1-1
(Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
After the Broncos benched Wilson last year, Stidham started the final two games of the season and split the results. He competed with Nix for Denver’s starting job this summer but wasn’t able to fend off the rookie for QB1 duties.
14. Bo Nix: 0-0
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
On paper, Nix seems to be a perfect fit for Payton’s offense. He will make his regular-season NFL debut when the Broncos go on the road to face the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 (Sept. 8). After eight seasons of inconsistent quarterback play, Denver now turns to Nix to get the franchise back on track.
For the NFL Draft, Lance Zierlein of NFL Media wrote up his draft profile, which includes a funny note that Vikings fans may enjoy.
The 2019 NFL Draft was a fun quarterback group for fans, analysts, and teams to enjoy seeing if their team would land them. One of those quarterbacks was Brett Rypien, who had wrapped up a very successful career at Boise State.
Upon entering the NFL Draft, Lance Zierlein of NFL Media wrote up his draft profile, which includes a funny note that Vikings fans may enjoy.
It doesn’t relate to hand size, bench press, or his 3-cone drill workout. It relates to his pro comparison as it happens to be a full-circle moment for Rypien and one of his teammates.
The veteran draft analyst had his official player comparison for Rypien to be his future teammate, Nick Mullens.
As someone who did draft analysis for that class, I believe the player comp is accurate. They both have live arms that can make throws to any level of the field, but they struggle with some mechanics and processing, which leads to turnovers and bad plays.
Despite that note, Rypien could prove to be a perfect fit for Kevin O’Connell the same way Nick Mullens has. Neither one will win an MVP award anytime soon, but they can be efficient within his offense.
Minnesota used a fifth-round pick to select Hall in last year’s NFL draft out of BYU. He might be a candidate to return on the practice squad.
Rypien is now set to serve as the team’s third-string quarterback behind starter Sam Darnold and primary backup Nick Mullens. J.J. McCarthy, the team’s first-round pick in April, will miss the 2024 season with a knee injury.
Rypien, 28, joined the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of Boise State following the 2019 NFL draft. He spent four years in Denver, mostly on the practice squad. Rypien was called on to start three times when the Broncos had injuries at quarterback and he went 2-1 as a starter.
He competed with the Chicago Bears this summer (and impressed in the Hall of Fame Game) but was cut this week when Chicago went down to a 53-man roster. Rypien will now get a new opportunity with the Vikings.
Another former Broncos backup quarterback, Ben DiNucci, was cut by the Buffalo Bills earlier this week. DiNucci, 27, remains a free agent.
After finalizing their 53-man roster on Tuesday, the Vikings decided to waive quarterback Jaren Hall and signed Brett Rypien.
The Minnesota Vikings have made a change at the quarterback position. After finalizing their 53-man roster on Tuesday, they decided to waive quarterback Jaren Hall and signed Brett Rypien, who was waived this week.
Rypien was most recently with the Chicago Bears this offseason. He has also played for the Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks, and Los Angeles Rams after being undrafted in 2019.
Entering the 2019 NFL Draft, Rypien was seen as a fun quarterback prospect out of Boise State with his live arm and excellent touch on his deep ball passes. His success for Boise State hasn’t translated to the NFL, thus his hopping around the league.
As for Jaren Hall, it is unclear whether the Vikings will attempt to sign him to the practice squad or not; they did just draft him last year. He will have to clear waivers; if he does, he can sign with the team on Friday.
Some of the players listed above could return to the team that cut them on the practice squad. Later today, we will track Denver’s own practice squad signings after waiver claims are processed on Broncos Wire.
Bo Nix is the Denver Broncos’ 14th starting quarterback since Peyton Manning’s retirement. Here’s the full list.
The Denver Broncos have been in football purgatory following Peyton Manning’s retirement from the NFL.
Manning played in Denver from 2012-2015, posting a 45-12 record as the team’s starter. The Broncos won the AFC West in all four of Manning’s seasons and they reached two Super Bowls.
After winning Super Bowl 50, Manning retired during the 2016 offseason. Denver spent the last nine years searching for a replacement. Broncos fans now have hope that Bo Nix will finally break the team’s post-Manning quarterback curse.
Nix, who was picked by Denver in the first round of the NFL draft in April, has been named the team’s starter ahead of the 2024 NFL season. He will become the Broncos’ 14th starting quarterback since Manning’s retirement. Here’s the full list.
Broncos starting quarterbacks since Peyton Manning
Siemian was the team’s only full-time starter to post a winning record, but he wasn’t a franchise quarterback. Here’s a quick look back at each QB.
1. Trevor Siemian: 13-11
(Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports)
Denver’s most successful quarterback since Manning’s retirement (in terms of record), Siemian nearly reached the playoffs in his first season under center. After spending last year as a backup with the New York Jets, Siemian is now a free agent.
2. Paxton Lynch: 1-3
(Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports)
One of the biggest busts in franchise history, Lynch went on to have unsuccessful stints in the CFL, USFL and XFL after falling out of the NFL in 2019. He’s currently a free agent.
3. Brock Osweiler: 0-4
(Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports)
Osweiler was an important player for the Broncos during their Super Bowl 50 run as he filled in well for an injured Manning during the 2015 season. Osweiler’s second stint with the team did not go well, though, and he retired from the NFL in 2019.
4. Case Keenum: 6-10
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
Keenum had an unremarkable one-year run with the Broncos in 2018. He’s now a backup with the Houston Texans.
5. Joe Flacco: 2-6
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Flacco joined the Broncos in 2019 and he didn’t last long in Denver. He’s now a backup with the Indianapolis Colts.
6. Brandon Allen: 1-2
(Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports)
Allen started three games in 2019 when Flacco and Drew Lock were recovering from injuries. Allen is now a backup with the San Francisco 49ers.
7. Jeff Driskel: 0-1
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
Driskel started one game when Lock was injured in 2020 and it didn’t go well. He’s now a backup with the Washington Commanders.
8. Brett Rypien: 2-1
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
Rypien started one game in the place of an injured Lock and two games in the place of an injured Russell Wilson. He is now a backup with the Chicago Bears.
9. Drew Lock: 8-13
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Lock had moments of strong play in Denver, but his turnovers often proved to be costly. He was sent to Seattle as part of the Wilson trade and he spent two years as a backup with the Seahawks. Lock is now a backup with the New York Gitans.
10. Kendall Hinton/Phillip Lindsay: 0-1
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
When all four of Denver’s quarterbacks were ruled ineligible to play in Week 12 of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 policy, wide receiver Kendall Hinton was called up from the practice squad to play quarterback that week. Technically, the Broncos had Lindsay line up in a Wild Cat formation for the first play, so Hinton was not officially credited with a QB start, but he was Denver’s QB that day.
Hinton and Lindsay are now both out of the NFL.
11. Teddy Bridgewater: 7-7
(Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports)
Bridgewater was one of Denver’s best quarterbacks since the Manning era, but it still wasn’t enough for the Broncos to get back into playoff contention. After backup stints with the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions, Bridgewater retired from the NFL in February. He now coaches high school football in Miami.
12. Russell Wilson: 11-19
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
The Broncos paid a king’s ransom to acquire Wilson from the Seahawks in 2022 and he ended up starting just 30 games in Denver. Wilson went 4-11 in 2022 and 7-8 in 2023. Payton took on the largest dead money cap hit in NFL history to move on from Wilson this spring. He now plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
13. Jarrett Stidham: 1-1
(Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
After the Broncos benched Wilson last year, Stidham started the final two games of the season and split the results. He competed with Nix for Denver’s starting job this summer but wasn’t able to fend off the rookie for QB1 duties.
14. Bo Nix: 0-0
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
On paper, Nix seems to be a perfect fit for Payton’s offense. He will make his regular-season NFL debut when the Broncos go on the road to face the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 (Sept. 8). After eight seasons of inconsistent quarterback play, Denver now turns to Nix to get the franchise back on track.
Former Broncos quarterback Brett Rypien threw three touchdown passes in the Hall of Fame Game with the Bears on Thursday night.
Former Denver Broncos quarterback Brett Rypien stole the spotlight in the NFL’s Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio on Thursday evening.
Now playing for the Chicago Bears, Rypien went 11-of-15 passing for 166 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions against the Houston Texans. Rypien also rushed once for nine yards.
Because it’s an extra preseason game, the Bears did not play most of their regular starters, including first overall draft pick Caleb Williams. Instead, Chicago had a three-QB rotation of Rypien, Tyson Bagent and Austin Reed.
Rypien, 28, was a backup with the Broncos from 2019-2022. He went 2-1 as a fill-in starter in three games during his time in Denver. Rypien spent time with the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets in 2023 before joining the Bears this spring.
The Texans also had a solid performance from a former Broncos quarterback on Thursday night as Case Keenum went 7-of-9 passing for 102 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. Keenum went 6-10 as a starter in Denver in 2018.
Thursday’s game between Chicago and Houston was terminated in the third quarter due to weather. The Bears led 21-17 when the game was paused and Chicago was credited with a win, marking the first victory of preseason.
The Broncos, meanwhile, continue training camp this week with Jarrett Stidham and Bo Nix competing to win the starting quarterback job.
: 
: Stream on