Will Ty Simpson Beat Out Stetson Bennett for Rams’ Backup QB Job?

May 28, 2024; Thousand Oaks, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterbacks Matthew Stafford (9) and Stetson Bennett (13) during OTAs at the team training facility at California Lutheran University. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

While the Los Angeles Rams don’t necessarily have a true quarterback competition this offseason, many will be watching Ty Simpson and Stetson Bennett. The Rams will head into the season with Matthew Stafford as the starter, but who serves as the backup behind him is yet to be determined. 

Simpson and Bennett will be competing for the backup quarterback position behind Stafford. Despite the Rams taking Simpson 13th overall, head coach Sean McVay has been adamant that he will compete with Bennett. After the draft, McVay was firm when he said, “He's going to compete with Stetson” when referring to Simpson’s spot on the team. 

It’s possible that it’s all coach speak and a formality. After drafting Simpson 13th overall, it would be surprising if he wasn’t Stafford’s backup. At the same time, Bennett was drafted in the fourth round in 2023 and has spent three years in the system. 

When it comes to rookies, the Rams tend to bring them along slowly and make them earn their spot. On the initial depth chart last season, Terrance Ferguson started as the fourth tight end with Anthony Toerres and Mark Redman behind Davis Allen. Ferguson spent two weeks early in the season inactive on game day. This is simply how the Rams handle rookies.

Simpson spent three years at Alabama before he finally got his chance as the starter while he worked up the depth chart. He won’t have any problem competing with Bennett and sitting behind Stafford. He spent much of his college career as the backup. 

However, the expectation from the fanbase will be for Simpson to at least beat out Bennett. The pick garnered a lot of criticism following the extension of Stafford last week. It will almost certainly come under a microscope again if Simpson ends up behind Bennett. 

With that said, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Rams downplay Simpson most of the offseason. While they may have a quarterback competition to back up Stafford, the last thing the Rams want is to create any controversy with their starting quarterback. It’s part of the reason why McVay made it known that this was still Stafford’s team following the draft. 

It may seem ridiculous that Simpson could create any controversy with Stafford even if he is at the end of his career. However, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. If the Rams start 3-6 like they did in 2023, a portion of the fanbase will almost certainly start calling for Simpson. In the case that the Rams start 1-4 as they did in 2024, there might start to be some pressure. The same can be said if the Rams go through a ‘No Win November’ as they did in 2021. 

When the preseason begins, Bennett will likely begin as the QB2 behind Stafford and start those games as he has the last three years. He may not play the full game as he has in the past, but he will almost certainly start. If Simpson starts a preseason game, it likely wouldn’t be until the finale. 

Again, this isn’t a true competition as the Rams are going to do their part in bringing Simpson along slowly and prioritize his development. Still, there will be a lot of focus and comparisons made between Simpson and Bennett during OTAs and training camp. 

Even if Bennett opens the preseason as the QB2, it shouldn’t be viewed as a negative for Simpson. Again, the Rams are going to be careful with Simpson and he won’t be treated any differently than other rookies just because of the position he plays and where he was drafted. 

However, the spotlight will almost certainly follow Simpson throughout the summer. That’s the reality of the situation given where Simpson was drafted and the indication is that he will be Stafford’s eventual replacement. These will likely be the only snaps fans see as Simpson likely won’t play during the regular season. 

While the Rams may not view the backup quarterback spot as a true competition, from the outside, it’s going to feel like one. Bennett’s experience will certainly help him, but Simpson also wasn’t drafted to sit as the third-string, emergency quarterback. Even if the Rams are minimizing the implications of drafting Simpson, that won’t be the case from outside the organization. The expectation will still be for Simpson to win the backup quarterback role before the regular season.