Returning to the practice squad are halfback Gary Brightwell, offensive linemen Devin Cochran, Andrew Coker, Jaxson Kirkland and Seth McLaughlin, cornerbacks Jalen Davis and Bralyn Lux, linebackers Joe Giles-Harris and Maema Njongmeta, halfback Kendall Milton, wide receivers Jordan Moore and Isaiah Williams and defensive end Isaiah Thomas.
Waived offensive linemen Caleb Etienne and Cordell Volson and tight end Tanner McLachlan revert to the team’s reserve/injured list.
Cincinnati cut quarterbacks Desmond Ridder and undrafted rookie Payton Thorne this week, leaving need for a third option behind Joe Burrow and backup Jake Browning. Rypien, who originally was a college free agent signee of Denver in 2019, gives the Bengals an experienced No. 3.
Rypien joins after spending the entire 2024 season on Minnesota’s practice squad. He’s played in 10 career games with four starts for the Broncos (2020-22) and L.A. Rams (2023) and completed 98 of 168 passes for 950 yards and four touchdowns with nine interceptions. He also spent time on Seattle’s practice squad and the N.Y. Jets’ active roster during the 2023 season.
The Bengals still have two openings on their practice squad, which is heavy on offensive linemen after the team kept just eight on the 53-man roster following cuts Tuesday.
McLaughlin, undrafted out of Ohio State following an Achilles tear in November, was perhaps a surprise to clear waivers as the 2024 Rimington Trophy winner as college football’s top center. The Bengals’ gamble waiving him with final roster cuts paid off, as he will have a chance to prove healthy enough to make an impact on the practice squad now.
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