Brett Rypien is far from being the first Los Angeles Rams option at quarterback. Matthew Stafford, the starter, is handling a thumb injury. The immediate backup is fourth-round rookie Stetson Bennett, who's on the NFI-list for undisclosed reasons. The team even tried to sign John Wolford off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' practice squad, but the former Ram preferred to stay in Florida.

So enter Rypien, and he may be the Rams starting quarterback on Sunday, at Lambeau Field, versus the Green Bay Packers.

Last Sunday, Rypien played the final parts of the loss to the Dallas Cowboys. For head coach Sean McVay, the quarterback did well considering a tough situation.

"Overall, it's really hard to play quarterback to get in and out of the huddle, to have some of the communication, the different changes in tempo, reading and recognizing coverage, and then being able to deliver the ball with accuracy and on time," said McVay. "I thought there were some examples of that being illustrated."

Rypien is not exactly a young quarterback. He's 27, and has been in the NFL since 2019. Undrafted out of Boise State, where he had been a four-year starter, Brett Rypien signed with the Denver Broncos and spent four seasons with the team, until last year. The stint included eight appearances and three starts, two of them in 2022. The results weren't great, with four touchdowns and eight interceptions for Denver.

But the Rams saw the talent to give him another shot. He was signed in May to participate in camp, and started the season on the practice squad. After Bennett was moved to the NFI-list, Rypien got a 53-man roster spot. On Sunday, he completed five of 10 passes, with no interceptions against a strong Cowboys defense.

"That's what you have to do as a backup," Rypien stressed. "You have to be ready to go whenever. Ultimately, it's tougher when you're coming in during a game. If he can't go this week, I'll be ready to start against Green Bay."

In fact, the challenge won't be as big as it was last Sunday. Rypien entered during the game against the third defense in DVOA this season. Meanwhile, the Packers are 28th, and the Rams backup will have the full week to get ready.

Stafford's outlook

It's still unclear how much time Matthew Stafford will miss, if at all. He was diagnosed with a ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) sprain in his right thumb. According to Sean McVay, he is day-to-day. The starter didn't practice on Wednesday, and as the Rams have a bye week after the Packers game, it won't be surprising if he doesn't play in Green Bay, but is back for the next game.

"We'll continue to monitor it, and he'll be day to day," McVay said. "We'll have contingency plans for both situations that could potentially arise."

Initially, the Rams didn't rule out placing Stafford on injured reserve, which would force him to miss at least four games. But it doesn't feel like it's going to happen. After the bye, the Rams will face the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, and Cleveland Browns.

The Rams are still in the NFC wild card race, one game behind the New Orleans Saints and the Minnesota Vikings. The team is 3-5, as the Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers already have five wins at the top of the West.

Injured reserve is a possibility for Rams’ QB Matthew Stafford

Quarterback injured his thumb against the Cowboys