INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — It didn't take long for the Indianapolis Colts to figure out what quarterback would replace Anthony Richardson Sr. on their roster, as the team is set to sign veteran Brett Rypien to the practice squad.
Richardson suffered an orbital bone fracture to one of his eyes before last Sunday's game after a freak accident while working with resistance bands in the locker room. He was placed on Injured Reserve this week, which means he must miss at least four games.
The Colts have Daniel Jones already as their starter, but Richardson's injury forced rookie sixth-round pick Riley Leonard into the backup role last week. Now, Rypien is an option to either back up Jones or serve as emergency insurance behind both Jones and Leonard on game days.
Colts head coach Shane Steichen will speak to the media on Wednesday and Friday this week before Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers, and will likely provide more information at those times.
Rypien (6'2", 200, 29 years old) — whose uncle, Mark, backed up Peyton Manning for the Colts in 2001 — 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.).
The tricky part for the Colts is this: with Richardson out for at least four games, the Colts can only call Rypien up to the active roster for game days three times before they must sign him officially to the active roster, if they plan to continue using him.
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.
