Bucs release QB Brett Rypien and sign RB Barika Kpeenu to the practice squad

Update, October 27: The Buccaneers released quarterback Brett Rypien from the practice squad on Tuesday and signed rookie running back Barika Kpeenu in his place (Buccaneers.com, Pewter Report, October 27). Baker Mayfield returned to the lineup on Sunday at Carolina, so the extra quarterback was no longer needed.

Key facts

• The Buccaneers signed running back Barika Kpeenu to the practice squad and released quarterback Brett Rypien on Tuesday, October 27 (Buccaneers.com, Pewter Report, October 27).
• Rypien spent four weeks on the practice squad after signing on September 29, when Baker Mayfield dislocated his right thumb (Buccaneers.com, Pewter Report, October 27).
• Mayfield returned to the lineup on Sunday, October 25, at Carolina and threw 11 passes (Buccaneers.com, Pewter Report, October 27).
• The quarterback room is now Mayfield, Jalon Daniels on the active roster and Easton Stick on the practice squad (Buccaneers.com, October 27).
• Kpeenu is an undrafted rookie from North Dakota State who was signed on August 16 and waived in the August 30 cuts (Buccaneers.com, October 27).
• Tampa Bay hosts the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, November 1 (Pewter Report, October 27).

The Buccaneers had signed Rypien on Tuesday, September 29, after Mayfield dislocated his right thumb in the 23-16 loss to the Vikings on September 27 (Pewter Report). Easton Stick was set to be elevated to back up Jalon Daniels against the Green Bay Packers on October 4.

Why the Bucs needed more quarterbacks

Mayfield was ruled out for at least three weeks. An MRI showed no ligament or tendon damage, no surgery was planned, and he stayed on the 53-man roster rather than injured reserve (Buccaneers.com, ESPN). His streak of 57 consecutive starts ended in Week 4.

That left only two quarterbacks on the active roster: Mayfield and Daniels. Todd Bowles said the team would look at "a veteran or a practice squad one" for more help (ESPN). Tampa Bay found both.

The quarterback room now

Source: Buccaneers.com, Pewter Report, October 27.

Rypien has played for the Broncos, Rams and Bengals and has four NFL starts (Buccaneers.com). He overlapped with Zac Robinson, now the Bucs' offensive coordinator, on the 2023 Rams, where Robinson was quarterbacks coach (Pewter Report, September 29). Pewter Report writes that there was no need to keep a fourth quarterback on either roster. Mayfield threw only 11 passes in his return game, which Tampa Bay won mainly with its rushing attack.

Who is Kpeenu

Kpeenu is an undrafted rookie from North Dakota State, and this is his second stint in Tampa Bay. He was signed on August 16, appeared in two of three preseason games with six carries for 24 yards, and was waived in the August 30 cuts (Buccaneers.com). In 47 games for the Bison he scored 32 rushing touchdowns, and as a 2025 senior he rushed for 1,005 yards and 20 touchdowns, earning first-team All-Missouri Valley honors (Buccaneers.com, Pewter Report).

The running back room is Bucky Irving, Kenny Gainwell and Sean Tucker on the active roster, with Josh Williams on the practice squad (Pewter Report). Pewter Report sees little path to the game-day roster for Kpeenu other than special teams. A practice squad player can be elevated to the game-day roster for a game, which is the route Stick was set to take in Week 4.

Daniels and the Mayfield injury

Daniels made the roster after a strong preseason. In relief against Minnesota on September 27 he went 0 of 3 with an interception and gained 9 yards on the ground (NFL.com, September 28). Our long read on Daniels' path from undrafted to QB2 covers how he got here, and the Mayfield injury report has the medical details. See the depth chart and schedule for the rest of the picture. Tampa Bay hosts the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, November 1.

The release of Rypien is the cleanest sign that the quarterback scare is over. The Bucs are back to a starter, a rookie backup and one veteran on the practice squad, and the open spot goes to a running back for a team that leans on its ground game.