Los Angeles Rams sign Brett Rypien as Matthew Stafford's backup QB

The Los Angeles Rams made several big roster moves this week to settle the backup quarterback situation behind Matthew Stafford.

First, the team moved rookie quarterback Stetson Bennett to the Reserve/NFI list on Wednesday. Next, Los Angeles signed Brett Rypien to the 53-man roster to backup Stafford in Week 2 against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Rypien, now in his fourth season in the league, has spent most of his time with the Denver Broncos. In his career, the former Boise State star has passed for 776 yards, four touchdowns and eight interceptions when called upon.

The former Broncos backup signed a one-year deal for $1.08 million in May before the Rams released him. They picked him up again on Aug. 30 for the practice squad.

Last week, Stafford threw for 334 yards in the Rams’ 30-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks. He left the scoring to running backs Cam Akers (one touchdown) and Kyren Williams (two touchdowns).

Rams move Bennett to Reserve/NFI list

According to Rams head coach Sean McVay, the team’s decision to move Bennett to the Reserve/NFI list was not related to a shoulder injury that had the QB on the injury report last week. However, he would not disclose further details on the matter.

The Rams signed Bennett to a four-year rookie contract after taking him in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

In his last two seasons with Georgia, Bennett led the Bulldogs to back-to-back national championship wins and a 29-1 record. In that time span, he threw for 6,990 yards and 56 touchdown passes along with 464 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.

Along with two national championship rings, Bennett brings a fair share of hardware with him to Los Angeles. Bennett was one of four finalists for the Heisman Trophy this year, was a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, and a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Award. He also took home the 2022 Burlsworth Trophy, awarded annually to the country’s outstanding player who began his career as a walk-on.

The former Bulldog threw his first NFL touchdown in preseason action against the L.A. Chargers. He came in for Rypien during the second quarter. Bennett fired an 11-yard touchdown pass to Puka Nacua, making it the first touchdown pass of his NFL career. He finished the preseason overall with 36-of-62 completions for 347 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.