ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Even if mounting injuries have left the Broncos thin at several positions, it's never wise for a team to be thin at quarterback.
And so the Broncos now have three quarterbacks -- one more than usual -- on their 53-man roster after Brett Rypien was promoted Tuesday from their practice squad, sources told 9NEWS. Rypien is now officially the No. 3 QB behind starter Teddy Bridgewater and backup Drew Lock. as he was all offseason, training camp and preseason.
Per the sources, the Broncos made the move after another AFC team in QB straits tried to sign Rypien off their practice squad. Once Broncos general manager George Paton was presented the scenario of losing Rypien, he offered a promotion to Denver's 53-man roster.
Rypien was presented with a decision Tuesday and chose to stick with the Broncos rather than move to a new team.
To make room for Rypien, the Broncos placed special teams linebacker Jonas Griffith on short-term injured reserve with a hamstring injury.
Rypien is in his third season with the Broncos after he was signed as an undrafted college free agent out of Boise State, where he was a four-year starter. He started one game for the Broncos last year and led the team to a 37-28 road win against the New York Jets.
Injuries have thinned the Broncos at receiver (Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler), interior offensive line (left guard Dalton Risner will be questionable for the upcoming game against the Baltimore Ravens with a foot injury and a left knee injury will make right guard Graham Glasgow highly questionable), cornerback (Ronald Darby, Michael Ojemudia) and inside linebacker (Josey Jewell, Griffith).
But the team is not hurting at quarterback as Lock was an 18-game starter until Bridgewater arrived in a NFL Draft eve trade with Carolina for a sixth-round draft pick. Bridgewater is 3-0 with the league's second-best completion percentage of 76.8 and fifth-best passer rating of 116.4.
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