Ty Simpson Won’t Start Against Chiefs In Preseason Opener

The Kansas City Chiefs will play their preseason opener today against the Los Angeles Rams, but the Rams won’t be starting top pick Ty Simpson, according to a report from Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk that had coach Sean McVay starting Stetson Bennett against the Chiefs in today’s game at Arrowhead. 

It’s a somewhat controversial decision given McVay’s icy initial reaction when Simpson was unexpectedly drafted in the first round, but Bennett is expected to serve as primary backup to quarterback Matthew Stafford, who definitely won’t be seeing action in this one. 

Bennett was drafted in the fourth round in 2023 after a stellar college career with Georgia, but he’s yet to appear in a regular season game. He will be trying to duplicate a successful preseason last year as he completed 69 percent of his passes for 512 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions in the preseason, good for a 105.7 passer rating, per Simmons. 

The Rams also have rookie QB Matthew Caldwell on their roster, so he could see action as well, with Simpson expected to follow Stetson at some point. 

The Chief won’t be playing quarterback Patrick Mahomes in this one, which means Kansas City fans will get their first look at backups Justin Fields and Garrett Nussmeier in game action. 

Fields has been a forgotten man in training camp as the Chiefs continue to feature Mahomes, who is rehabbing his knee after a serious injury. The focus has been on having Mahomes under center with some occasional rollouts, with the Chiefs also featuring Kenneth Walker III as their lead running back after signing him to a big contract in free agency. 

The other quarterback who should get a look in this one is rookie Garrett Nussmeier, who was drafted in the seventh round out of LSU after having initial success in the SEC. Nussmeier has also been largely overlooked, but the Chiefs will still be looking to work on the offensive install regardless of who’s taking snaps. 

The Chiefs also won’t be seeing defensive star Myles Garrett or receiver Puka Nacua in this one. Nacua is dealing with what’s been called “deep core muscle tightness” after a controversial offseason, while Garrett has been dealing with knee issues after being acquired from the Cleveland Browns in a big offseason trade. 

Kansas City will also see a couple of former secondary players in Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie, although it remains to be seen if either starter will actually take the field.