Packers
The Buccaneers signed veteran quarterback Brett Rypien to the practice squad on Tuesday, September 29, and will elevate Easton Stick to back up Jalon Daniels against the Green Bay Packers on October 4 (Pewter Report). The moves follow Baker Mayfield's dislocated right thumb in the 23-16 loss to the Vikings on September 27.
Key facts
- The Buccaneers signed 30-year-old quarterback Brett Rypien to the practice squad on September 29 (Pewter Report).
- Easton Stick will be elevated from the practice squad to back up Jalon Daniels against the Packers (Pewter Report, September 29).
- Baker Mayfield dislocated his right thumb, is out at least three weeks and needs neither surgery nor injured reserve; his streak of 57 straight starts ends in Week 4 (Buccaneers.com, September 28).
- Rypien has appeared in 11 NFL games with four starts and worked with Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson on the 2023 Rams (Pewter Report, September 29).
- Daniels went 0 of 3 with an interception and ran for 9 yards in relief against the Vikings (NFL.com, September 28).
- Tampa Bay, 0-3, hosts the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, October 4, at 1:00 PM ET, 19:00 CEST, on FOX (Buccaneers.com).
Why the Bucs needed more quarterbacks
Mayfield will miss at least three weeks. An MRI showed no ligament or tendon damage, no surgery is planned, and he stays on the 53-man roster rather than injured reserve (Buccaneers.com, ESPN). His streak of 57 consecutive starts ends in Week 4, and NFL.com lists Week 7 against the Panthers as the earliest possible return.
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.
Who the new names are
Quarterback | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
Jalon Daniels | Starter, Week 4 | Undrafted rookie from Kansas |
Easton Stick | Elevated for Week 4 | Practice squad veteran |
Brett Rypien | Practice squad | 11 games, 4 starts |
Baker Mayfield | Injured, on 53-man roster | Out at least 3 weeks |
Source: Pewter Report, NFL.com, Buccaneers.com, September 28 and 29.
Rypien has played 11 regular-season games with four starts, for the Broncos and the Rams (Pewter Report). He overlapped with Zac Robinson, now the Bucs' offensive coordinator, on the 2023 Rams, where Robinson was quarterbacks coach. Tampa Bay also nearly signed Rypien as a third-string quarterback in 2024, before choosing John Wolford.
What an elevation means
Practice squad players are not on the 53-man roster. A team can elevate a practice squad player to the game-day roster, which is what Tampa Bay will do with Stick.
Daniels in the spotlight
Daniels made the roster after a strong preseason and had not thrown a regular season pass before Sunday. In relief against Minnesota he went 0 of 3 with an interception and gained 9 yards on the ground (NFL.com). He will be the first Bucs starter other than Mayfield since Tom Brady in 2022 (Buccaneers.com). Our long read on Daniels' path from undrafted to QB2 covers how he got here, and the Mayfield injury report has the medical details.
Behind him, the pocket will matter. Mayfield has been sacked 13 times in three games, the most of any NFL quarterback (ESPN). Kickoff is at 1:00 PM ET, 19:00 CEST, on FOX; see the depth chart and schedule for the rest of the picture.
Tampa Bay is 0-3 for the first time since 2014 (ESPN), with a rookie starter who has not completed an NFL pass. Rypien and Stick give Daniels two veterans in the quarterback room for the weeks Mayfield is out, and that is the practical value of these moves.
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