Minnesota Vikings waive young quarterback despite strong end to preseason

The Minnesota Vikings changed their quarterback room on Thursday morning, waiving former fifth-round pick Jaren Hall and signing veteran Brett Rypien to the roster. Vikings general manager Kwesi-Adofo Mensah stated on Thursday that he would like to bring Hall back on the practice squad if he clears waivers.

Hall was considered on the roster bubble earlier in the offseason after a slow start in training camp and an underwhelming performance against the Las Vegas Raiders in the team's preseason opener. However, when first-round rookie J.J McCarthy was ruled out for the season with a torn meniscus , Hall’s spot on the roster opened up as the third quarterback. With the NFL’s emergency third quarterback rule, most teams will likely keep a third quarterback on the roster, so Hall’s job security was viewed as somewhat secure when McCarthy was injured.

Hall would bounce back with solid performances against the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles to round out the preseason, and many believed that Hall had secured a roster spot on the team.

The former BYU Cougar was announced on the initial 53-man roster Tuesday afternoon as the team’s third quarterback. However, once other NFL teams made roster decisions at the quarterback position, the Vikings chose to bring in Rypien.

Hall’s development is still a central focal point for the Vikings if they can get Hall back on the team after his waiver period ends. The team believes he can be a long-term backup quarterback behind J.J. McCarthy with the ability to grow and mature into a player who can come in and start games when needed.

Hall will go through the NFL’s waiver process, and if he goes unclaimed, he can sign with any team that shows interest.

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