Former Vikings QB Dropped by Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are content with Philip Rivers, Anthony Richardson, and Riley Leonard at quarterback, evidenced by the waiver of ex-Minnesota Vikings passer Brett Rypien on Monday. A different former Vikings signal-caller, Daniel Jones, began the season as Indianapolis’ QB1 but suffered an Achilles tear earlier this month.
Rypien’s stint in Indianapolis never turned into a real foothold, and the latest move is a reminder of how quickly QB depth charts churn once the season tightens.
Rypien could re-sign to the Colts’ practice squad, yet he’s the odd man out to start Week 17.
Colts Say Goodbye to Brett Rypien
It’s Rivers over Rypien in Indianapolis. What a world.
Colts Say Goodbye to Rypien
On the same day that Rivers made his second start of 2025, Indianapolis kicked Rypien out.
NBC Sports‘ Myles Simmons wrote, “The Colts will officially have one of their key defenders back for Monday night’s game against the 49ers. Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner has been activated off of injured reserve, Indianapolis announced on Monday. As a corresponding move, Indianapolis waived quarterback Brett Rypien.”
“Philip Rivers is set to start for Indianapolis on Monday night and Riley Leonard is also healthy to be the team’s backup QB. Additionally, the Colts have elevated receiver Coleman Owen and guard Josh Sills from the practice squad to the active roster for Monday’s matchup with San Francisco.”
All told, Rypien has been a part of the Vikings, Bengals, and Colts’ rosters in the calendar year.
Anthony Richardson Back?
Rypien’s waiver could be a hint that Richardson’s return is around the bend. The Colts activated his practice window after weeks on injury reserve with an orbital fracture. He’s been missing for two months. There’s really no reason to cut ties with Rypien unless Richardson is game-ready.
HorseshoeHeroes.com‘s Lee Vowell wrote over the weekend, “In his second season, which would have been the season when Richardson said he spoke with Rivers, AR5 wasn’t very good. That doesn’t mean the older QB’s advice wasn’t worthy. Very likely, it was.”
“Moreover, next season, when Philip Rivers is almost certainly not a paid employee of the Indianapolis Colts, he might help whoever the quarterback is in Indy. One of them should be Anthony Richardson, and no doubt, the younger QB might rely once again on the retired quarterback’s sage advice.”
The Rivers Show Rolls On
Until Richardson is ready — rolling with Richardson instead of a 44-year-old who had been out of the league for five years — Rivers will run the show.
While Rivers has zero mobility — and never had much in the first place — Rivers did fling the rock around in Week 15, enough to keep his team’s loss against the Seattle Seahawks rather exciting. Indianapolis did Rivers no favors by pitting him against Seattle’s defense during his first game back in five years, but the man played “okay’ by NFL quarterback standards, and pretty efficiently for a portly 44-year-old.
Sadly, the Colts are cooked in playoff speak. They began the season with an 8-2 record, leading the way as the AFC Super Bowl frontrunner, according to sportsbooks, but faceplanted the moment their schedule stopped featuring fluff opponents.
Rypien in Minnesota
Back in April, Minnesota’s quarterback room was thin enough to feel temporary. The Vikings technically had two names on the depth chart — J.J. McCarthy and Rypien — and nothing else settled behind them. With the front office slow-playing the backup search, a segment of the fan base started squinting at Rypien as a viable QB2 by default.
That idea didn’t survive contact with reality. Kevin O’Connell cycled through options as the summer unfolded, briefly revisiting Sam Howell and Rypien before ultimately settling on Carson Wentz and rookie Max Brosmer. The depth chart reshaped itself quickly once Minnesota acknowledged what it actually needed.
The organization spoke highly of Rypien throughout the offseason, and his 2024 preseason run in Chicago gave that optimism some footing. None of it carried over in purple. When the reps mattered, the separation was apparent, and Minnesota moved on without hesitation, prompting Rypien to try the Bengals and Colts on for size.
Watch for Practice Squad Reunion
On Rypien, he could be back in Indianapolis as early as this week. Often, NFL teams will waive a player and bring him back a few days later as a matter of roster maintenance. That could be the verdict for Rypien.
If not, Rypien will hit the free-agent pool and hope to latch onto a team as the QB3 in 2026. Free agency is less than three months away, believe it or not.
Rypien is 30 years old and came into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Broncos in 2020.
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