Rams Expected to Keep Stetson Bennett Ahead of Ty Simpson in QB Room Pecking Order

The Rams shocked the NFL world by using their highest first-round pick on quarterback Ty Simpson, who was seen as a developmental prospect who lacked elite physical traits, and many evaluators did not project him as a first-round pick, even in a tepid class of high-end talent in this draft class.

As the competition to serve as a primary back-up quarterback for that team plays out this summer, keep those dynamics in mind. 

The Rams face an incredibly daunting schedule overall, and especially in the first six weeks of the season, and one game could be the difference between home-field advantage in the playoffs and this team is in Super-Bowl or bust mode more than perhaps any other in the league.

Time Is On Simpson’s Side

Which means that veteran back-up Stetson Bennett, with years of experience in Sean McVay’s offense and who saw lots of reps in the offseason past when league MVP Matthew Stafford was battling injuries, could still emerge as their No. 2 quarterback this season. 

In fact, it would actually surprise us if McVay didn’t go into the season with his quarterback room arranged in that fashion.

McVay was criticized some for how little he spoke about Simpson immediately after meeting the media to discuss the controversial draft pick, deferring heavily to Stafford. 

But he also invoked Bennett several times, and sources close to the coach around the league have told me McVay believes he could compete and win games with Bennett if he had to.

Everything with Simpson is about him being ready to win games when Stafford retires, but don’t expect to see a push made to ramp up Simpson for any particular role by Week 1. 

The Rams also have an absolutely brutal travel schedule early in the season that will cut even more into their practice and prep time, which also would work in Bennett’s favour.

Throwing too much at Simpson too soon and putting him in a position to have to play right away doesn’t feel like how the Rams would operate. 

They are playing the long game with Simpson and aren’t worried about public perception; the selection of the QB itself spoke to that.