What OTAs Revealed About the Rams Quarterback Depth Chart

One of the most anticipated position battles this offseason for the Los Angeles Rams is at the backup quarterback position. With Matthew Stafford not throwing during OTAs, it’s allowed Stetson Bennett and Ty Simpson to get more reps than they would otherwise.

After the Rams drafted Simpson, McVay made it clear that Simpson would be competing with Bennett for the backup role. McVay said following the first round of the draft, “He's going to compete with Stetson.” While it’s still only OTAs, the coaching staff has downplayed Simpson while talking highly of Bennett.

When talking about Simpson, McVay said, "Ty, like the rest of the rookies, is doing a really nice job. Overall, I’ve been really pleased but it’s how we come together as a team.” Offensive Coordinator Nate Scheelhaase had the same tone. Said Scheelhaase, “I've been encouraged with all of our rookies, including Ty. He’s coming with the right mentality, and honestly, the rest of those rookies have as well, which has been cool.”

The Rams very clearly have a plan when it comes to Simpson’s development. They aren’t going to rush him and will likely downplay his performances all offseason in order to avoid any sort of controversy. Much like they did after the draft, the Rams want to do whatever they can to respect Stafford's position as the starter while developing Simpson behind the scenes.

Additionally, the tone in how the coaching staff talked about Simpson and Bennett was very different. McVay was quick to praise Bennett and complimented his growth, going as far as to say that he was proud of him.

“I’ve seen tremendous growth,” said McVay. “I think he’s done a really nice job. He’s earning the confidence of his teammates in terms of commanding the huddle. Then, he’s done a lot of good stuff in terms of reading with his feet. He’s had a really good last couple of weeks, and I’ve been proud of him.”

While it may be advertised as a competition, it’s likely that Simpson is on his own path. The Rams tend to bring rookies along slowly and Simpson will be no different. When the first depth chart is released, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Simpson behind Bennett.

Bennett had his best offseason and performed well in the preseason last year. The Rams have shown enough confidence in Bennett to not sign another veteran quarterback or bring in further competition. As of now, the Rams have been practicing with Bennett as the backup ahead of Simpson on the depth chart.

“In the past two practices, the Rams have largely rotated Bennett and Ty Simpson, with Bennett ahead on the depth chart,” said The Athletic’s Nate Atkins. “It follows the plan McVay laid out for Simpson, who will battle with Bennett to become this year’s backup quarterback. They want to see what Bennett and Simpson can do under a competitive setting.”

Atkins also noted that both quarterbacks have largely been mistake-free outside of a few misses due to building chemistry with first-team wide receivers.

Many might expect Ty Simpson to be the clear front-runner when it comes to the backup quarterback position. However, that won’t necessarily be the case. The Rams are going to bring Simpson along slowly and he is likely to start training camp as QB3.

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