One of the Rams’ most talked-about camp battles hasn’t really looked like a battle at all.
Los Angeles drafted quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick, and Sean McVay did frame his arrival as a competition with Stetson Bennett. But once camp got rolling, the reps told a different story. The Rams have not been rotating the two in a true back-and-forth fight for the backup job.
When Matthew Stafford has been held out under his management plan, Bennett has handled the work with the ones and Simpson has taken the snaps with the twos. When Stafford has practiced, Bennett has stayed in the backup role and Simpson has gotten only limited work. On Monday, with Stafford on the field, Simpson did not take any snaps.
“It was just part [of the plan],” said McVay. “We were unscripted and Matthew [Stafford] was out here and so Stetson [Bennett IV] got the work that he's earned.”
That setup has made Bennett the clear No. 2 for now, and it would not be a surprise if he opens the season there as well. Even if that changes by Week 1, the Rams have already shown that Bennett is the quarterback they trust to run the offense at this stage.
That trust has been built over time. Bennett is in his fourth training camp and third consecutive season after taking a break from football, and the comfort level shows. The Rams have consistently praised how he has grown in the system, and McVay pointed to the way Bennett plays with controlled aggression.
“He's doing great. He really has [grown],” said McVay.
“He's aggressive. He's a playmaker.
He's going to be aggressive but not reckless. He can make some things happen off-schedule…It's cool to be able to see a lot of the work that he's put in pay off with the way that he's playing and the respect he has from his teammates.”
McVay has also made a point of speaking about Simpson and Bennett in the same breath, but the message has been pretty consistent: Bennett has earned the staff’s respect, and right now he gives the offense the smoother operation. Simpson may have more arm talent, but Bennett’s experience in the offense has mattered more in camp.
The numbers from Bennett’s preseason work back up the improvement. After throwing two touchdowns to five interceptions in 2024, he threw five touchdowns to two interceptions last year. His turnover-worthy play rate fell from 9.1 percent to 5.6 percent, and his passer rating jumped from 57.5 to 105.7.
“I have been so impressed with what Stetson Bennett has done and the growth that he's had, the ownership of the offense,” said McVay. “I can feel his teammates want to root for him and he's played really well through the offseason program up until now. That's been a real positive for us.”
As the Rams prepare to leave Loyola Marymount and return to Woodland Hills, Bennett looks like the backup quarterback, plain and simple. That says more about Bennett’s work than it does about Simpson’s camp. Simpson can still flash the arm strength that made him such a high draft pick, and the Rams are not asking him to win the job right away.
They’re playing the long game with the rookie. The goal is to bring him along at his own pace, let quarterback coach Dave Ragone focus on the basics, and avoid rushing him into a role he does not need to hold yet. With Stafford entrenched as the starter, the Rams have time.
That’s been their pattern with rookies. Terrance Ferguson was inactive in Weeks 3 and 4 last season and did not start until Week 10. Now, heading into year two, many expect him to break out.
Simpson appears to be next in that same line. If he keeps learning, stays patient, and keeps stacking good days, the Rams will keep building him the same way.
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