Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen told reporters what they'll do with Riley Leonard and Brett Rypien this Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The Indianapolis Colts have done some shuffling at the quarterback position this week out of necessity, as backup Anthony Richardson Sr. was placed on Injured Reserve due to an eye injury. He'll be out for at least four games.
That left the Colts with just Daniel Jones as the starter and rookie sixth-round pick Riley Leonard as the new primary backup, with no emergency option for gamedays.
The Colts will rectify that, as they are signing veteran journeyman Brett Rypien to their practice squad. For now, according to head coach Shane Steichen, Rypien will be the third option behind Jones and Leonard.
"Excited about him," Steichen told reporters on Wednesday about Rypien. "Obviously, a guy that's been doing it a long time, to the practice squad. Riley will be our backup this week. I love Riley. I think Riley's came in with the right mindset from day one. The way he works, the way he prepares, so it's a hell of an opportunity for Riley this week. Like I said, he'll be our backup this week, and then we'l see how everything goes through the next couple weeks."
Leonard has only been active for one game this season, last week, as Richardson's injury occurred during pregame warmups. Leonard did not play, as it was a close contest against the Arizona Cardinals, and Jones stayed in throughout the game.
Rypien (6'2", 200, 29 years old) was originally signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent following the 2019 NFL Draft. He's since spent time with the Los Angeles Rams (2023), Seattle Seahawks (2023), New York Jets (2023), Chicago Bears (2024), Minnesota Vikings (2024), and Cincinnati Bengals (2025).
He's started four out of 11 career games (2-2 record), and has gone 98-of-168 passing (58.3%) for 950 yards, four touchdowns, nine interceptions, and two fumbles lost, for a passer rating of 59.9. He's also run the ball 14 times for 21 yards (1.5 avg.).
Jake Arthur has been covering the Indianapolis Colts for over a dozen years and is a member of the PFWA. He's one half of the Locked On Colts podcast and has worked for the Colts' official website, On SI, and more. You can follow him on X @JakeArthurNFL.
