Rypien to Play Out His Option

Mark Rypien’s agent said the Washington Redskin quarterback plans to play out his option after talks on a new contract broke off Wednesday.

Rypien is seeking a two-year contract with an annual salary of about $1.5 million with incentives, about the average this season for starting quarterbacks.

The Redskins want to sign Rypien, who took over the starting job for good in his third year last season, for three years with a base salary of $700,000 this season and increases of $100,000 in each of the next two.

Rypien was the fifth-rated passer in the NFC last season, when he earned $250,000. He would make $275,000 this year playing out his option.

“I cannot understand where they can say this guy deserves $700,000 a year,” said Rypien’s agent, Ken Staninger. “They want to pay him less than Bubby Brister. That makes no sense.”

Rypien completed 280 of 476 passes for 3,768 yards, with 22 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. Three times he threw four touchdowns in a game. He got hot late in the season, hitting 65.5 percent of his passes for 1,430 yards in leading the Redskins to five straight victories at the end of the year.

But Redskins coaches have been lukewarm about him in their comments this summer, noting they haven’t made the playoffs in two seasons in which Rypien has started most of the games.

Washington was 4-4 with Rypien as a starter before he was benched because of fumble problems.

Redskin general manager Charley Casserly said the fumbles were a reason Rypien deserved a smaller salary, according to Staninger.

The Redskins play the Rams Friday night in Washington.