An ex-Broncos quarterback moves on to the Rams

Brett Rypien has a new home — and it might be a place where he could see substantial playing time.

The erstwhile Broncos QB agreed with the Los Angeles Rams on a 1-year contract Wednesday. KUSA-Ch. 9’s Mike Klis first reported the move.

QB Brett Rypien is signing a 1-year deal with the Rams per source. #9sports

— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) May 3, 2023

Rypien began the new league year as a restricted free agent. But the Broncos declined to offer him a tender, opting for Jarrett Stidham and setting Rypien free.

It’s the first change of venue for Rypien in his NFL career. He joined the Broncos as an undrafted rookie and spent his first three seasons dividing his time between the practice squad and the primary roster. He didn’t finally stick on the 53-player roster until the Broncos promoted him there from the practice squad on Sept. 28, 2021.

Rypien remained on the 53 through 2022, beating out free-agent signee Josh Johnson for the No. 2 job behind Russell Wilson. That led to a pair of starts — an Oct. 23 loss to the New York Jets and a Dec. 18 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

He had 483 yards, 2 touchdowns and 4 interceptions on 53-of-88 passing. Rypien’s 24.3 ESPN QBR was 53rd of 58 quarterbacks with at least 50 attempts last season; his 63.8 passer rating was 54th.

Rypien’s other start came in Week 4 of the 2020 season at the New York Jets. Denver won that game, 37-28, as Rypien had 2 touchdown passes — but also threw 3 interceptions. That win followed a game four days earlier in which he relieved struggling backup Jeff Driskel, who himself filled in for the injured Drew Lock.

Including his 2020 snaps, Rypien completed 61.5 percent of his Denver passes, finishing with 778 yards, 4 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. His 62.9 passer rating in the regular season is 69th among 73 quarterbacks with at least 100 attempts since 2020.

Despite that production, he heads to Southern California with a chance at playing time. While Matthew Stafford said he feels “refreshed” as he enters offseason work, he’s still completing his recovery from elbow surgery. And the two other quarterbacks with the Rams only arrived this past weekend: rookies Stetson Bennett and Dresser Winn.

As the only veteran behind Stafford, Rypien should get a decent look. But he’ll need to show that he can improve on his Broncos regular-season form to stick and continue his playing career.

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