Ty Simpson didn’t need long to make his point in his first NFL preseason game. By the time the Los Angeles Rams were done with their 20-12 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday afternoon, the rookie quarterback had already put together the kind of debut that can change the conversation around a young passer.
Simpson was responsible for 190 of the Rams’ 321 total offensive yards and finished with two touchdowns, looking calm and in control throughout the afternoon. For a player who has taken his share of offseason criticism since going in the upper half of the draft’s opening round in April, it was a strong answer on the field.
The numbers were clean, too. Simpson completed 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards and those two scores in his first NFL action. He stayed efficient, kept the offense moving and showed the kind of comfort in the pocket the Rams were clearly hoping to see.
His day started with a sharp 23-yard throw to tight end Mark Redman, tucked inside the right sideline on his first snap of the preseason. From there, Simpson settled in and kept delivering.
The first touchdown came in the fourth quarter, with the pocket starting to close around him. He found undrafted free-agent running back Dean Connors for his first NFL touchdown pass, giving Los Angeles another boost in a game it controlled.
Not long after that, Simpson hit another undrafted free agent when he fired a quick strike over the middle to Brennan Presley for a 23-yard gain.
He finished the outing the same way he began building momentum: with Connors again. On his final pass, Simpson dropped in a touchdown from two yards out to cap his preseason debut and put the game out of reach for Kansas City.
Before Saturday, the Rams’ quarterback order had Simpson listed behind Stetson Bennett IV. The depth chart still has Matthew Stafford at the top, with Bennett second, Simpson third and Matthew Caldwell fourth. But after this performance, the backup picture may not look quite the same for long.
Bennett also played well enough, going 4-for-6 for 38 yards, but Simpson’s outing stood above everything else on the field. The next few preseason weeks will show whether that first strong impression changes the Rams’ thinking behind Stafford for 2026.
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Justin Fields got the start at quarterback and, compared with what had been showing up in camp, looked more accurate than he had been earlier in the summer. Jaden Hicks and Emmett Johnson also chipped in with contributions that matter in August, when every clean rep and every mistake is part of the evaluation. For the Chiefs, the opener offered an early snapshot of who is pushing, who is settling in, and which battles still have a long way to go. [Read more 🡒]