New Los Angeles Rams quarterback Ty Simpson won’t start his career as the immediate backup for Matthew Stafford.
Even though the perception is that Simpson, whom the Rams took No. 13 overall, will be the heir apparent to Stafford’s starting role, head coach Sean McVay said Simpson will have to battle for the right to be Stafford’s backup in 2026. That means competing with current backup Stetson Bennett.
This isn’t terribly surprising. Simpson hasn’t stepped onto an NFL field yet, while Bennett is entering his fourth season in the league. Now, Bennett has only played preseason football, but he understands the McVay offense better than Simpson at this point in their careers.
Now, Simpson will almost assuredly beat out Bennett throughout the offseason. But it also wouldn’t be a shock to see the Rams keep Bennett as the immediate backup (on paper, at least) all year in case Stafford got hurt. It would be much better to throw a player in who at least has NFL experience, rather than a rookie (if it came to this).
It’s semantics at the moment, but it’s also good to see McVay unwilling to hand Simpson a role before he earns it.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Sean McVay says Ty Simpson isn’t Rams’ QB2 yet
Reporting by Oliver G., Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
