Stetson Bennett has quietly taken control of the Rams’ backup quarterback competition, and the early signs point in one direction: he’s ahead of Ty Simpson.
Matthew Stafford is locked in as Los Angeles’ starter this season, but the fight behind him has been one of the more interesting storylines of the offseason. Bennett entered camp trying to win the QB2 job for the first time in his career, while Simpson arrived with the shine of a first-round pick after the Rams took him 13th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
On paper, Simpson looked like the obvious favorite. On the field, that hasn’t been the case.
“Stetson Bennett came in as the favorite over Ty Simpson and neither player has done anything to change that,” Cameron DaSilva said via ugawire.usatoday.com. “Bennett is getting most of the second-team reps (and first-team reps when Matthew Stafford is out), with Simpson getting limited opportunities in practice.”
That’s the clearest sign yet that Bennett is winning the job right now. He’s handling the bulk of the second-team work, and when Stafford sits, Bennett has also been the one getting first-team snaps.
With Stafford’s age factoring into how much he practices, those reps matter. They tell you the Rams trust Bennett enough to keep him plugged into the offense with the starters.
Simpson still has a runway to change the picture. The Rams won’t lean heavily on their starters in preseason games, which means Bennett and Simpson should soak up nearly all of the snaps. That gives Simpson a real opening to close the gap, but it also gives Bennett a chance to lock the door.
For now, though, the edge belongs to Bennett heading into those games.
There’s also a bigger layer to all of this. The expectation around Bennett has long been that Los Angeles will likely move on when his contract runs out next offseason, regardless of how he performs this year.
Stafford is expected back in 2027, which leaves no path for Bennett to become the long-term starter. And once Simpson gets a year under his belt, the Rams would probably be prepared to make him Stafford’s backup for good.
That’s what makes the situation tricky. It’s tough to see a team spending a first-round pick on Simpson and then not giving him a future role. Even if Bennett outplays him this season, the Rams would still have a decision to make unless the gap becomes dramatic.
If Bennett were to prove he is two or three times better than Simpson, the Rams would have a real problem on their hands. Would they really let him walk if he’s clearly the better quarterback?
Bennett still has to go out and prove it, but the door is open. If he plays at a high level and Simpson doesn’t take hold over the next year, there’s at least a chance Bennett earns another contract.
The economics are working in Simpson’s favor. The performance so far is working in Bennett’s favor. And after getting limited opportunities this offseason, Bennett is making the most of every snap he gets.
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