Ottawa Redblacks add veteran NFL QB, nephew of Canadian-born Super Bowl MVP to negotiation list

Photo courtesy: Denver Broncos/Gabriel Christus

The Ottawa Redblacks have added veteran NFL quarterback Brett Rypien to their exclusive negotiation list.

Rypien was born in Spokane, Wash., and is listed as an American by the Redblacks, though he could be entitled to Canadian citizenship. He is the nephew of Calgary, Alta., native Mark Rypien, who spent 15 seasons at quarterback in the NFL and was named Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXVI.

His father, Tim, was drafted by both the Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays in different MLB drafts, and later spent a minor league stint in Medicine Hat, Alta. It is unclear where he was born, though his date of birth shows he is less than three years younger than Mark, the age at which the family reportedly left Canada.

American players who are entitled to Canadian citizenship through their parentage are sometimes removed from negotiation lists as a result, allowing them to obtain the proper paperwork and enter the league through the draft.  The Redblacks currently hold the first overall pick in the 2027 CFL Draft.

Rypien started his NFL career as an undrafted free agent with the Denver Broncos in 2019. He spent four seasons there, throwing for 778 yards, four touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He went 2-1 as a starter.

The six-foot-two, 202-pound passer spent the 2023 season between the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and New York Jets, seeing action in two games with the Rams. He threw for 172 yards and one interception, going 0-1 as a starter.

The 30-year-old spent the entire 2024 season as a backup with the Minnesota Vikings, though he didn’t take any regular-season snaps. He split the 2025 campaign between the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, and Vikings, but dressed for just a single game. He has spent time with the Houston Texans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2026, but was released on October 27.

In total, Rypien has completed 58.3 percent of his passes for 950 yards, four touchdowns, and nine interceptions over seven NFL seasons, earning just over $5.7 million.

A four-year starter at Boise State University, Rypien passed for 13,578 yards with 90 touchdowns and 29 interceptions at the collegiate level. He was named first-team All-Mountain West Conference three times and was once the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

CFL teams can claim the rights to up to 45 players via the negotiation list on a first-come, first-served basis, provided that they are not currently eligible for the Canadian or Global Drafts, and do not have CFL veteran status. These players can be added, traded, or removed from the list at any time.

Being added to a negotiation list does not mean that the player has expressed interest in the CFL, and some are unaware that their rights have even been claimed. Players can only force their removal from the list if the team does not provide them with a minimum contract offer at their request.

The Ottawa Redblacks (1-17) did not qualify for the CFL postseason after finishing fourth in the East Division standings.