Brett Rypien named Broncos starting QB for Thursday originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
With a couple injured quarterbacks and a shortened week to prepare for the New York Jets on Thursday night, the last thing Denver head coach Vic Fangio is worried about right now is remembering names.
That includes his newly named starting quarterback, Brett Rypien.
RELATED: Former Washington QB Mark Rypien's nephew makes NFL debut
Fangio told media on Tuesday Rypien would be the starter against the Jets for a battle between some lowly teams for Thursday Night Football. Both Joe Flacco and Drew Lock remain sidelined with injuries, while backup Jeff Driskel was unimpressive on Sunday against Tampa Bay.
Rypien replaced Driskel in the fourth quarter trailing 28-10, completing his first eight pass attempts before throwing an interception against Tom Brady's Buccaneers. His uncle, Mark, played six seasons in Washington (1989-1994) and won two Super Bowls.
Mark was also the starting quarterback for the Colts when Brady made his first start for the Patriots in 2001. Now, Brett will be looking to create a legacy of his own.
While it makes sense for Brett to be mistaken with his uncle by name, Brett will have to prove he's got the arm to throw those deep balls that became such a staple of Mark's game.
