By admin 
Jalon Daniels is about to make his first NFL start, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just brought in a quarterback who already knows the language. The Bucs signed Brett Rypien to their practice squad Tuesday, per Pro Football Talk, and the most important line on his resume isn’t a stat. It’s a coach.
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Rypien spent the 2023 season with the Los Angeles Rams, where current Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson was the quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator under Sean McVay. That’s the connection that matters here. Robinson was hired in January to run Tampa Bay’s offense, and with Baker Mayfield out with a dislocated thumb for at least three weeks, the Bucs needed someone who could get up to speed fast.
What Rypien brings to Tampa Bay
Nobody should expect Rypien to push for the starting job. The 30-year-old nephew of Super Bowl XXVI MVP Mark Rypien has appeared in 11 NFL games with four starts and a 2-2 record. He went undrafted out of Boise State in 2019 and has bounced among the Broncos, Rams, Seahawks and Bengals, plus a brief stint in Houston’s training camp in August.
What he offers is familiarity. A practice-squad quarterback’s job is to run the scout team, help the starter prepare and be ready if something goes wrong. Knowing Robinson’s terminology and how he teaches the position shortens that process, and that matters for a room built around a rookie. “We’ll go with Jalon, and we’ll go play, and we’ll see what’s out there that we can bring in,” head coach Todd Bowles said, via Pewter Report. Rypien is what they found.
Easton Stick is expected to back up Daniels on Sunday, with Rypien as the emergency option behind him. That’s a thin setup for a 0-3 team, but it’s the reality until Mayfield returns. The Green Bay Packers visit Raymond James Stadium at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 4, and if Daniels struggles or gets hurt, Rypien’s history with Robinson could make him more than just a scout-team arm.
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This story was originally published September 30, 2026 at 6:30 AM.