IFL: Skorpions Varese sign Super-Bowl Champion & 10-Year NFL veteran QB Ryan Griffin

| American Football | 12/15/2023

The  Skorpions Varese of the Italian Football League have signed former NFL and Super Bowl champion quarterback Ryan Griffin. The NFL veteran looks to help the Skorpions take the next step in 2024 as they finished last season with a 4-4 record.

Griffin, 34, joins the European football scene after decade long career in the NFL as a backup quarterback. Griffin initially broke into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the New Orleans Saints where he backed up Drew Brees for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

In 2015, the 6’4 Santa Monica, California native joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following his release from the Saints after the 2015 pre-season. For the next six seasons, Griffin was a mainstay in the Buccaneers locker room, backing up a rotating door of starting quarterbacks, including Jamies Winston, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Mike Glennon.

In 2019, after nearly seven seasons in the NFL, Griffin finally threw his first pass in the regular season n Week 14 of the 2019 season against the Indianapolis Colts.  He started the second half for the Buccaneers as Winston suffered a hand injury late in the second quarter. Griffin completed 2 of 4 passes for 18 yards. Winston returned to the game on the next Buccaneers possession and finished the game for a 38–35 victory.

The next season in 2020, Tom Brady took over as the starter in Tampa Bay. Griffin then had the chance to play with Brady for three seasons and win the Super Bowl in 2020. Griffin spent the 2022 season on the Buccaneers practice squad.

Before his NFL career, Griffin was an accomplished quarterback at Tulane University. Griffin holds the Tulane career records in pass attempts, completions, and completion percentage. He is second in passing yards, passing yards per game, pass attempts per game, completions per game, and 300-yard passing games. Griffin finished his college career with 9,026 yards, 56 touchdowns, and 35 interceptions.

It will be very interesting to see how Griffin adapts to the European game after spending so much time in the NFL. Griffin is one of several exciting new players joining what looks to be another great season in the Italian Football League.

Alex is a former NCAA and semi-pro American football player who is now located in London, where he works in digital marketing. His goal in writing for AFI is to stay involved with the game that has given him so much. Alex enjoys covering leagues and