Field Level Media
15 Aug 2026, 23:49 GMT+10
(Photo credit: Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
The Houston Texans signed veteran Brett Rypien to a contract on Saturday and placed fellow quarterback Graham Mertz on season-ending injured reserve.
The move comes two days after Mertz tore his ACL during the Texans' 27-7 preseason loss to the visiting Los Angeles Chargers.
Rypien, 30, will be the third quarterback on the depth chart behind starter C.J. Stroud and veteran backup Davis Mills.
Rypien has made four NFL starts since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2019 with the Denver Broncos. He has passed for 950 yards, four touchdowns and nine interceptions in 11 games with the Broncos, Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals.
Rypien played college football at Boise State and holds the Mountain West career passing yardage record of 13,578. He is the nephew of Mark Rypien, who played 11 NFL seasons (1988-97, 2001) for five teams and was MVP of Super Bowl XXVI for Washington.
A sixth-round draft pick in 2025, Mertz sustained a knee injury during a scramble late in the second quarter. Before leaving, he completed 4 of 7 passes for 23 yards.
Mertz, 25, spent most of his rookie season on the injured list. He dealt with a leg injury during his senior season at Florida.
Mertz, who played at Wisconsin (2019-22) and Florida (2023-24), did not appear in a regular-season game in 2025.
--Field Level Media
Get a daily dose of Milwaukee Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Milwaukee Sun.
More InformationLONDON/PANAMA CITY: Transit through the Strait of Hormuz appeared to have almost come to a standstill on August 14 after two more ships...
CLACTON-ON-SEA, U.K.: Reform UK leader Nigel Farage won the by-election in Clacton on August 14, but the result also exposed weaknesses...
PARIS, France: France's Constitutional Council blocked a proposed ban on social media access for children under 15 on August 14, ruling...
MEDINACELI, Spain: Millions of people gathered across Spain, Portugal, Iceland and other parts of Europe on August 12 to watch a rare...
ROME, Italy: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is losing support among younger voters, according to opinion polls, raising concerns about...
MOSCOW, Russia: Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup, an island claimed by Japan at the end of the Kuril chain near Hokkaido,...
(Photo credit: Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images) The Houston Texans signed veteran Brett Rypien to...
(Photo credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images) For all that Jacob Misiorowski has accomplished early in his major league career, earning...
(Photo credit: Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images) The Cincinnati Reds remain confident Brady Singer...
(Photo credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images) Andy Pages hit a go-ahead home run in the fifth inning, right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto had...
(Photo credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images) While the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins had a good time with their Field...
(Photo credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images) Texans second-year quarterback Graham Mertz likely tore his ACL during Thursday's preseason...
