Rypien’s Playing Days Appear Over - In St. Louis

Retirement isn’t in Mark Rypien’s vocabulary at the moment, but neither is the word Rams.

“I don’t necessarily want to retire,” the former Washington State quarterback and 1992 Super Bowl MVP said Thursday. “If things don’t work out with St. Louis, things don’t work out. … To say my playing days are over is a misquote. To say my playing days in St. Louis are pretty much over. …”

Well, there is a little more truth to that.

The word out of the Rams’ NFL training camp in Macomb, Ill., was that the Rams made Rypien a final offer, with a deadline.

The Rams wouldn’t say what their latest offer was, but coach Rich Brooks said as time passes there will be less money available. The Rams have not signed their two first-round draft picks, Lawrence Phillips and Eddie Kennison.

Rypien knew what the offer was - and it wasn’t enough - but he didn’t know it carried a deadline.

“We’d still like to have him here,” Brooks said Thursday. “We just need to give it another go and see if he’ll get in here. If he’s not here by tomorrow (Friday), then probably it doesn’t look very good.”

Rypien said, “I guess I won’t be there. I plan to be here.”

Rypien was in the clubhouse at The Fairways after shooting a 74 in the first round of the 37th Washington Trust Bank Lilac Invitational. He plans to make his 9:30 tee time this morning.

Reached in Missoula, Rypien’s agent, Ken Staninger said, “They (the Rams) did come back with an offer, but it wasn’t any better in some ways than the one before.”

Staninger says he plans to talk to the Rams in the morning but suspects they’ll sign another veteran quarterback.

Rypien said he thought the two sides had reached an agreement earlier this summer. While he thought the two sides were discussing incentives, the Rams pulled their offer and then lowered it, from $600,000 to $300,000 with incentives.

Rypien made $700,000 last season when he passed for 300 yards in each of the last three games after concussion-prone Chris Miller was lost for the season.

Although veterans are due in camp today, Rypien said the uncertainty with his future has no affect on his golf game, or anything else.

“I’m at peace where I’m at. It’s not as if all of a sudden I should be somewhere else,” he said. “I felt it was a great chance to play in a good situation. Things didn’t work out. I’m not saying everything is said and done with St. Louis. Right now I’m enjoying the Pacific Northwest, enjoying my kids, enjoying my wife, all of that. You can’t beat that.”

Rypien, 33, believes something could open during training camp or even in the middle of the season. To stay somewhat sharp, he said he would ask WSU coach Mike Price if he could do a little work with the Cougars receivers when they open fall drills next month.

In the meantime, he has a tee time to make.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

The following fields overflowed: BYLINE = Dave Trimmer Staff writer Staff writer Jim Meehan contributed to this report.