Ty Simpson has wasted little time making his presence felt in Los Angeles.
The Rams already have Matthew Stafford in place, fresh off an MVP win, so the quarterback situation for this season looked settled. But Sean McVay has never been the type to think only about the next game on the schedule. That outlook helped explain why the Rams took Tyler Simpson in this year’s draft as a possible quarterback of the future.
What’s changed is how quickly Simpson has started pushing for more than a long-term label. His preseason work has been strong enough to turn the backup quarterback conversation into something worth watching.
Sarah Barshop of ESPN highlighted Simpson in a look at how NFL rookies have performed in camp, and the rookie’s showing has put real pressure on Stetson Bennett. Bennett handled most of the early No. 2 reps, but Simpson’s play has made the battle behind Stafford far less settled.
Barshop wrote that, "Simpson impressed in his first preseason game, completing 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. After the game, McVay said he thought Simpson had 'good command' of the offense."
She also noted, "In his second preseason game, Simpson played the second half but got just three series; he completed 8 of 12 passes for 73 yards. And he capped off his preseason with 119 passing yards on Thursday night."
That kind of production is tough to brush aside. If Stafford were ever forced out with an injury, Simpson could be the next man up sooner than expected.
In Other News...
Rams Face Tough Final 53 Calls After Roster Shakeup
The Rams have moved past their final preseason game and into the hardest part of August, with roster cutdown day forcing a round of decisions that will ripple across the depth chart. The recent trade of running back Jarquez Hunter for wide receiver Tutu Atwell only adds another layer to the process, because one transaction can change the math at more than one position as the Rams sort out how they want their 53-man group to look.
For players on the bubble, the wait now becomes the story. Wesley Bailey, Tim Keenan III, Tanner Ingle and Cam Lampkin are among the names still in limbo as the Rams weigh whether they fit better on the active roster or the practice squad, and those calls often come down to details that never show up in a box score. With the roster in flux after the trade, the final decisions will say as much about the Rams' immediate plans as they do about the futures of the players fighting to stay attached to them. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Let One Kicker Slip Away And Fans Still Feel It
The Rams had a chance in 2022 to keep Cameron Dicker in the building after adding the rookie to their training camp roster, but they moved on because of concerns about his lack of experience as a holder. It looked like a routine camp decision at the time, the kind teams make when sorting through specialists, but it has taken on a different tone as Dicker settled in with the Chargers and quickly developed into one of the league's most accurate kickers.
Los Angeles, meanwhile, has spent the years since cycling through multiple options without finding the same kind of stability. That contrast has made Dicker an easy touchstone for fans who still wonder what might have been if the Rams had been willing to be a little more patient, and it is the sort of missed opportunity that tends to linger when the kicking game keeps drawing attention for all the wrong reasons. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Suddenly Have A Stetson Bennett Question They Can't Ignore
The Rams have spent enough time juggling roster decisions this season that even a backup quarterback spot can turn into a conversation point. Stetson Bennett remains part of the picture, but he still has not been officially named the No. 2 behind the starter, which has only fueled the kind of speculation that tends to follow teams trying to sort out the edges of the roster. Add in the recent trade involving Jarquez Hunter and Tutu Atwell, and it is easy to see why every move is being read as part of a larger plan.
Still, the chatter around Bennett has outpaced the actual reporting so far. There have been trade proposals floating around, but no reputable insider has confirmed that the Rams are actively shopping him, and the team has also shown it is willing to factor injuries into trade negotiations when the right deal comes along. For now, Bennett sits in that awkward middle ground where he is clearly relevant to the depth chart, but not yet locked into the role that would quiet the outside noise. [Read more 🡒]