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rostermoves
On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers switched out one of the spots on their 17-man practice squad, signing running back Barika Kpeenu and releasing quarterback Brett Rypien.
Kpeenu is back for a second stint with the Buccaneers after a two-week stint during the preseason, as he was signed on August 16 and then waived in the league-wide roster cutdown on August 30. He appeared in two of the Bucs' three preseason games, handling six handoffs for 24yards.
Kpeenu was signed as an undrafted free agent after finishing is collegiate career at North Dakota State last fall. For the Bison, he appeared in 47 games with 19 starts, amassing 434 carries for 2,277 yards (5.2 avg.) and 32 touchdowns while adding 35 receptions for 369 yards and two scores. As a senior in 2025 he was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference first team after rushing for 1,005 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Rypien was on the Buccaneers' practice squad for four weeks, coinciding with the injury to Baker Mayfield's right thumb in Week Three. Mayfield returned to action on Sunday at Carolina and has Jalon Daniels as his backup on the active roster and Easton Stick on the practice squad. Rypien has previously played for the Broncos, Rams and Bengals and has appeared in 12 games with four starts.