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Photo courtesy: Andy Kenutis/Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings have released Canadian-American quarterback Brett Rypien for the second time in eight months.
The move comes after the team signed veteran Carson Wentz on Sunday. Minnesota also traded fellow quarterback Sam Howell to the Philadelphia Eagles, leaving J.J. McCarthy, Wentz, and rookie Max Brosmer as the only passers on the roster.
Rypien originally signed with the Vikings in August after their first-round draft pick, McCarthy, suffered a season-ending knee injury during the preseason. He didn’t see any regular-season action behind veteran passers Sam Darnold and Nick Mullens over the course of the regular season, and was eventually waived in the playoffs in favour of Daniel Jones. He was later brought back on the practice roster and re-signed ahead of training camp.
The 29-year-old was born in Spokane, Wash., but is eligible for dual citizenship. He is the nephew of Calgary, Alta. native Mark Rypien, who spent 15 seasons at quarterback in the NFL and was named Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXVI.
Rypien started his NFL career in 2019 as an undrafted free agent with the Denver Broncos. He spent four seasons with the team and threw for 778 yards with four touchdowns and eight interceptions, going 2-1 as a starter.
The six-foot-two, 202-pound passer split the 2023 season between the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and New York Jets, throwing for 172 yards with one interception and posting an 0-1 record as a starter.
In total, Rypien has completed 58.3 percent of his passes for 950 yards, four touchdowns, and nine interceptions over six NFL seasons, earning just over $5 million.
A four-year starter at Boise State University, Rypien passed for 13,578 yards with 90 touchdowns and 29 interceptions. He was named first-team All-Mountain West Conference three times and was once the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year.