Film Review: Ty Simpson Shows Why Rams Should Be Excited About His Future

While the preseason mostly doesn’t matter, it did provide the Los Angeles Rams a good, extended look at rookie quarterback Ty Simpson in a live-game setting. Given that Simpson will sit during his rookie year, the reps Simpson got during the preseason will hopefully be his only live-game reps. From here on out, most of the reps that Simpson gets will be mental.

Over the past two weeks, the Rams have been ramping up Simpson’s reps during practice as they finally acknowledged that they might have a backup quarterback battle on their hands.

In Thursday’s preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Rams threw another test at Simpson, giving him the start. While Stetson Bennett didn’t play, it was still an opportunity for Simpson to show how he could lead the offense and control the game.

For the most part, that’s exactly what Simpson did. The rookie finished 18-for-23 for 118 yards and a touchdown. His performance against the Chargers was much closer to his preseason debut. Simpson was decisive, got the ball out quickly, and threw with accuracy.

One thing that was evident with Simpson throughout the preseason was how quickly he got rid of the ball.

On 47.7% of Simpson's dropbacks, the ball was out of his hands in under 2 seconds. The Rams rookie QB reads the stick concept here. Ball is out quick. pic.twitter.com/1vjcQpmxyq
— Blaine Grisak 💭 (@BGMediaOnSI) August 28, 2026

Simpson’s Processing Stands Out

Not to get hyperbolic, but Simpson’s ability to know exactly where he wants to go with the ball and get it out quickly is Tom Brady-esque. That’s not to compare him to Brady, but it is an impressive part of his game, especially for a rookie.

While part of that is the Rams keeping the offense simple, he has still shown that he can push the ball down the field. His average depth of target of seven yards against the Chargers was his highest of the preseason. With a more extended look on Thursday, he was also able to show off some more advanced aspects of quarterbacking.

This is soooo good from Simpson. It's subtle, but very good!

The Rams rookie looks and begins to move as if he's going to Klare in the flat. That subtle movement holds the CB and creates a passing lane to CJ Daniels. pic.twitter.com/35EY40bBVN
— Blaine Grisak 💭 (@BGMediaOnSI) August 28, 2026

Simpson Shows Advanced Traits as a Passer

During his debut, Simpson manipulated a linebacker to open up a throwing lane for Dean Connors that resulted in a touchdown. Simpson did that again on Thursday, manipulating a cornerback with his eyes to open up a throwing lane for CJ Daniels. It’s subtle, but very encouraging this early in his career, even if it is only the preseason.

One underrated aspect of Simpson’s game is his athleticism. While he is more of a pocket passer, he does have the ability to take off and run if the pocket breaks down. That’s not something we saw from Simpson in his debut, but he has shown it the last two weeks.

Ty Simpson's athleticism is an underrated part of his game that the Rams got to see a little more last two weeks.

Shows a good feel for the pocket to evade the first pass rusher and then takes off and picks up 9 yards. Just not something the Rams get with a 38 y/o Stafford. pic.twitter.com/PbCZda8Ovz
— Blaine Grisak 💭 (@BGMediaOnSI) August 28, 2026

That athleticism and ability to create with his legs simply isn’t something that Matthew Stafford is able to do at this stage of his career. That’s fine given how Stafford can create with his arm. However, it’s still something that’s nice to see.

Simpson Creates Outside the Pocket

Simpson’s best throw of the game came in one of those plays out of structure. On the previous red zone drive, the Rams ran the ball four straight times and ended up getting stuffed inside the five. On 3rd-and-7 from the 11-yard line, the Rams called a pass and Simpson was able to create something out of nothing.

Ty Simpson...I was not familiar with your game (I kinda was).

Still amazed with this play. Rolls left, doesn't panic, squares his shoulders, and finds Presley in the end zone.

I think many rookie QBs just tuck and run this. Simpson keeps his eyes downfield. pic.twitter.com/pu6At4rLeD
— Blaine Grisak 💭 (@BGMediaOnSI) August 28, 2026

While the throw itself was impressive, the best part of the play is Simpson not panicking under pressure and then still keeping his eyes downfield, squaring his shoulders, and delivering an accurate ball to Brennan Presley. Most rookie quarterbacks in that situation would have tucked and run the ball or thrown the ball away. Simpson’s athleticism allows him to create out of structure.

That’s not to say that Simpson was perfect against the Chargers. There were certainly some throws that he would have wanted back, especially at the end of the half. On his final throw of the game, Simpson put a little too much heat on a ball intended for Alex Bachman in the end zone on what could have been a touchdown. Following the throw, McVay was seen talking to Simpson on the sideline, turning the mistake into a coaching moment.

This is one that Simpson wanted back.

Just a little too much zip. A rare lapse in accuracy on what probably should have been a TD. At the very least, a good teaching moment. pic.twitter.com/l6bIb7dTWY
— Blaine Grisak 💭 (@BGMediaOnSI) August 28, 2026

Putting Simpson’s Preseason in Perspective

It’s still very early, but there was a lot to like from what Simpson showed during the preseason. Simpson finished 47-for-60 for 382 yards and three touchdowns and didn’t put the ball in harm’s way. His 78.3 percent completion percentage ranked fourth among quarterbacks with at least 25 attempts and he finished with a 109.9 passer rating.

Multiple things can be true when it comes to Simpson’s preseason performance. It’s true that the Rams kept the training wheels on for the most part and ran a very vanilla version of the offense. Many of Simpson’s reps also came against players who may not make their respective teams.

At the same time, there were things to be encouraged about overall with Simpson. Throughout the preseason, he looked comfortable and confident running the offense. Never did he look lost or like he didn’t know where to go with the ball. It would have been nice to see Simpson let it loose more and push the ball down the field. His average depth of target of 5.9 yards was the seventh lowest during the preseason. However, when he did throw the ball downfield, he did so with accuracy. On passes between 10 and 19 yards, Simpson was 9-for-13 with a touchdown.

Whether Simpson’s performance was enough to earn him the backup job remains to be seen. Even if it wasn’t, the Rams have to be encouraged with what they saw. The only thing really separating Simpson and Bennett is experience in the offense. Simpson seemed to close the gap to Bennett during the preseason. At this point, it’s just a question of how much of the playbook is available to Simpson.

As much as fans would like to see Simpson as the backup to start Week 1, that’s not the priority for the Rams. The preseason showed why the Rams liked Simpson and provided a glimpse of his tools. At the very least, the future looks bright. With the focus moving toward the regular season, Simpson will now sit behind Stafford and learn what it means to be the Rams’ quarterback.

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