Who Should I Start? Brett Rypien or Will Levis

Tuesday, September 16, 12:15 PM

The Cincinnati Bengals are signing quarterback Brett Rypien from the practice squad to the active 53-man roster on Tuesday, a source told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. With starter Joe Burrow (toe) out around three months after having surgery on his injured toe, Rypien is now in line to serve as the backup to Jake Browning, starting in Week 3 against the Minnesota Vikings. For more QB depth, Cincinnati added signal-callers Mike White and Sean Clifford to their practice squad on Tuesday. The 29-year-old Rypien will be trying to hold off both White and Clifford in the coming weeks for the backup gig in Cincy. Rypien went undrafted out of Boise State before making his NFL debut in 2020 with the Denver Broncos. He played three years in Denver before joining the Los Angeles Rams as a backup in 2023. Rypien has appeared in only 10 games in four seasons and has made four starts in the NFL.

Wednesday, July 23, 5:05 PM

The Tennessee Titans placed quarterback Will Levis (shoulder) on Injured Reserve on Wednesday, ending his season, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. It was announced on Monday that Levis would undergo season-ending surgery on his throwing shoulder on July 29. The 26-year-old has decided to have the surgery to ensure his long-term health based on medical opinions, and he should be ready for the start of the 2026 campaign. The problem for Levis is that he didn't look good when given the starting job in 2024, and then the Titans selected Cam Ward with the first overall pick this April. If Ward handles himself well and stays healthy in his first NFL season, Levis will be returning in 2026 and strictly a backup without a chance to regain a starting gig. The surgery also confirms what we already knew: That Ward is the team's starter in 2025.