Two days after initially keeping Jaren Hall as the third quarterback on their 53-man roster, the Minnesota Vikings made a significant change. On Thursday morning, they released Hall and signed Brett Rypien, a former quarterback for the Broncos and Rams. This adjustment comes after the Bears cut Rypien at the end of the preseason, and the Vikings had kept Hall on their roster just a couple of days earlier.
Rypien, who is 27 years old, has experience with some of the Vikings’ coaching staff. He played in Denver when running backs coach Curtis Modkins and offensive line coach Chris Kuper were with the Broncos, and he was with the Rams in 2023. This familiarity with the team’s scheme and staff likely influenced the Vikings’ decision to bring him on board.
Hall, who was drafted by the Vikings in 2023, had a strong preseason. He completed 28 of 46 passes for 339 yards and four touchdowns. His performance included a notable start against the Eagles, where he finished 17 of 25 for 189 yards and two touchdowns. However, he sustained a left leg contusion from a hit by Eagles pass rusher Julian Okwara, which led to him being pulled from the game earlier than planned. Despite this, Hall was present on the sideline for the rest of the second half.
The Vikings’ original plan was to develop Hall behind Kirk Cousins and Nick Mullens as a rookie. However, this plan changed dramatically when Cousins tore his right Achilles tendon on October 29. With Mullens dealing with a back injury, Hall became the team’s only healthy quarterback. He stepped in to finish the game at Lambeau Field and led a scoring drive in his first start against the Falcons. However, Hall sustained a concussion during that game while trying to scramble for a touchdown.
After returning to the lineup on New Year’s Eve against the Packers, Hall struggled significantly. He completed only five of 10 passes for 67 yards and an interception. His performance was underwhelming enough that head coach Kevin O’Connell decided to pull him in favor of Mullens at halftime.
With the Vikings making this recent change, Hall could potentially return to the practice squad if he clears waivers. Meanwhile, the team is banking on Rypien’s experience and familiarity with their system to provide more stability in the backup quarterback role.