Could Rams Trade Stetson Bennett After Ty Simpson’s Strong Debut?

It may not have been a surprise when Ty Simpson played well for the Los Angeles Rams in his preseason debut. However, few would have expected him to perform as well as he did, throwing for 190 yards and two touchdowns on 21 completions.

Throughout much of training camp, the Rams didn’t act as if there was a legitimate battle for QB2, giving all the reps to Stetson Bennett. Following Simpson’s performance, it’s something they can no longer ignore.

It’s not as if Bennett played poorly in the win against the Kansas City Chiefs. In his two drives, Bennett went 4-for-6 for 38 yards and led one scoring drive. With that said, Bennett was still unimpressive. On the opening drive, he threw a pass behind CJ Daniels coming across on a slant. While the Rams scored a field goal on his second drive, Bennett’s final pass was nearly intercepted.

Over the past few seasons, the Rams have kept three quarterbacks on the roster. Still, following Simpson’s performance, it’s worth wondering if Bennett has become expendable and worth anything in a trade.

👀 With uncertainty surrounding Atlanta’s QB room and Ty Simpson emerging for the Rams, Stetson Bennett could be an intriguing backup target for the #Falcons .

He’d bring mobility, playmaking ability and a winning pedigree while potentially raising the ceiling of the backup… pic.twitter.com/pfWPQt6wcG
— ATL Sports Zone (@ATLSportsZone) August 16, 2026

Has Ty Simpson Already Passed Stetson Bennett?

Simpson’s arm talent and accuracy were evident in the win against the Chiefs. There was a clear gap between Simpson and Bennett, and not in the way that’s reflected on the depth chart. If Simpson continues to play well, it becomes very difficult for the Rams to justify having him behind Bennett as the third-string quarterback.

The Rams clearly have a lot of respect for Bennett. It’s why they didn’t simply take their 13th overall pick and list him above Bennett on the depth chart. Head coach Sean McVay made it clear after the draft that Simpson would be competing with Bennett for the QB2 role. They are clearly proud of how far he’s come since stepping away from football during his rookie season.

However, following Saturday’s game, it seems we have reached an impasse. Anybody watching that performance would come away with the understanding that Simpson is the better player. That’s not a knock on Bennett at all. It was only a matter of time before that was the case.

What Is Stetson Bennett’s Future With the Rams?

The Rams gave Bennett the opportunity to be the backup this offseason, giving him all the reps behind Stafford. With the emergence of Simpson, it’s hard to see where his future is on the roster. Following the season, Bennett is a restricted free agent. A right of first refusal tender would pay Bennett $3.5 million. That’s more than what the Rams paid Jimmy Garoppolo last season. It wouldn’t make sense for the Rams to give that to their third-string quarterback.

As Bennett enters his fourth season, he has yet to play outside of the preseason. Prior to last year, his preseason numbers weren’t anything special. The Rams may have Bennett listed as the backup, but is that a position they could trust him in? If the Rams were forced to turn to a quarterback in the event of a Matthew Stafford injury, would they turn to Bennett or the player they just drafted 13th overall?

This offseason, the Rams did the right thing by being fair to Bennett and making Simpson earn everything. However, following his performance against the Chiefs, it’s hard to say that he hasn’t earned it.

Which Teams Could Trade for Stetson Bennett?

The best thing that the Rams can do for Bennett right now might be to trade him to a team where he can compete as the backup. Zac Robinson was the Rams’ quarterbacks coach in 2023 when they drafted Bennett. Robinson is currently the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have Jake Browning as their backup.

Heading into the season, the Detroit Lions believed Teddy Bridgewater would be their backup. Following his retirement, the Lions are relying on Joshua Dobbs and Luke Altmyer. It’s unlikely that Bennett’s hometown team would trade for him, as the Atlanta Falcons have Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. If the Falcons were to move on from Penix, Bennett could make sense.

While the Arizona Cardinals could be a fit with Mika LaFleur as the head coach, they just drafted Carson Beck. It’s also unlikely that the Rams would want to trade Bennett inside the division.

As it stands, the backup quarterback market is pretty limited, but come roster cuts, that could certainly change. The question then becomes how much Bennett is worth in a trade.

Does Stetson Bennett Have Any Trade Value?

It’s fair to wonder if Bennett has any value or market at all. The best thing that he has going for him is that he’s spent the last two years in the McVay offense. However, his 2024 preseason was unimpressive before he threw five touchdowns to two interceptions last year. Outside of the preseason, Bennett hasn’t gotten any regular-season action.

The best thing that the Rams might be able to do for Bennett is trade him to a team where he could compete as a backup. With that said, he simply might not be worth anything in a trade. It’s hard to see a team being desperate enough for Bennett to even give up a future Day 3 pick or do a Day 3 pick swap.

Rams May Have a Difficult Decision at Quarterback

Unfortunately for the Rams, they may be stuck with Bennett and a difficult decision to make. If Simpson once again plays well against the Saints, it’s going to be difficult for the Rams to make the argument that Bennett should be the backup behind Stafford.

“I don’t know how settled this is,” said Robert Mays of The Athletic Football Show. “There was a stretch early in camp where it felt like Stetson Bennett was going to be the backup for this team because of where Ty Simpson was. I don’t know how much that’s changed, but the way that Ty Simpson looked, it seems like the idea that Stetson Bennett played in the game at all and Ty Simpson looked as good as he did, is there maybe more of a question about who the backup quarterback for this team is going to be by the time the preseason is over?”

The Rams don’t necessarily have to trade Bennett as having his experience and knowledge of the system are valuable. He is almost like having an extension of the coaching staff on the roster, similar to John Wolford. However, if the Rams are trying to do right by Bennett and give him an opportunity to be the backup, it’s going to be difficult to justify that much longer. Unless another team suffers an injury, there may not be a trade market for him, if there is one at all.

As it stands, the Rams don’t have pressure to move Simpson ahead of Bennett as the backup. With another strong performance from Simpson, though, that could change. If Simpson continues to outperform Bennett and look comfortable in the offense, the Rams may have to explore what to do about their quarterback situation.

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