Former Vikings QB Picked Up By AFC Contenders

The Minnesota Vikings were certainly busy in the quarterback department come the end of training camp at final cuts.

The team worked out and subsequently signed Carson Wentz to be the immediate backup, traded former backup, Sam Howell to the Philadelphia Eagles, and cut former Denver and Rams backup, Brett Rypien.

Rypien’s next destination was not obvious, particularly given that he had not played well throughout the preseason. Poor play that had ultimately given rise to now Vikings third stringer and 2025 undrafted rookie, Max Brosmer.

But now it seems like the former Boise State man will have somewhere to go for the ensuing season, as he was picked up by the Cincinnati Bengals and signed to their practice squad, per Ari Meirov.

https://x.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1960762169152229404

Brett Rypien Lands On The Bengals’ Practice Squad

Rypien was obviously never looking to become a starter – and the chances of another team looking at him as a season-opening backup were equally pretty slim. However, the former 2019 UDFA would have hoped to make the Vikings roster prior to the start of training camp as QB3 behind Howell and McCarthy, potentially pushing Howell for that #2 spot.

After a less-than-ideal training camp, Rypien was ultimately demoted to fourth stringer behind Brosmer, which resulted in him getting his marching orders even before the Wentz-for-Howell switch.

The Bengals practice squad is certainly not the worst place to land for Rypien, if he is looking to maximize potential exposure and on-the-field time. Cincinnati’s franchise quarterback, Joe Burrow, has often needed temporary help from backups after unfortunately suffering multiple injuries over the course of his career to date.

And the team only added one alternative – QB2, Jake Browning – at quarterback, paving the way for the Spokane, Washington native to come in immediately if either player becomes unavailable at any point.

How Will The Vikings QB Situation Playout?

JJ McCarthy is entrenched as the starter – unless something goes really badly at some point over the course of the season.

Carson Wentz is somewhat of an odd choice of backup; normally teams prefer young, talented quarterbacks starting their first season to be backed up by level-headed, consistent veterans with a proven track record. Wentz is certainly a veteran, but consistency is not his forte, with almost no-one knowing exactly whether you’ll get a high-level world-beater or a beyond dreadful multi-interception thrower on any given Sunday.

And Max Brosmer behind the both of them will provide little assurance for fans, given that he was not even drafted this past April. Although behind closed doors, the Vikings feel very promisingly about the former Minnesota QB.

If McCarthy goes down, or gets benched on performance grounds, it is not out of the question by any means that Brosmer could end up getting a legitimate crack at the whip over his Super Bowl-winning now-teammate, especially if Wentz pulls one of his more haywire performances for head coach and offensive playcaller, Kevin O’Connell.