Los Angeles Rams rookie quarterback Ty Simpson is given a major prediction ahead of the 2026 season.
The Los Angeles Rams have who they hope is their quarterback of the future after Matthew Stafford retires, rookie Ty Simpson.
The Rams shocked the football world in last month's draft when they selected the Alabama quarterback with their 13th overall pick. Simpson is expected to be the signal caller for years to come, but in the meantime, he will be sitting on the bench for Los Angeles.
However, as we approach OTAs and training camp, it’s unclear if he will be the second-string quarterback or the third-string quarterback behind veteran Stetson Bennett.
The spot for the backup quarterback in Los Angeles will be an intriguing one, especially with the realistic chance that Jimmy Garoppolo retires. All eyes will be on that position battle.
With that being the case, many expect Simpson to be the direct backup to Stafford, beating out Bennett.
"While the Rams may not view the backup quarterback spot as a true competition, from the outside, it’s going to feel like one," Blaine Grisak of Rams on SI wrote. "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."
Simpson is no stranger to being the backup. That was the case from the 2022 college football season to 2024 in his time at Tuscaloosa.
He waited his turn then and he will wait his turn now for possibly a season or two.
The 23-year-old Simpson should have the clear edge over Bennett, who's been with the team for the past four seasons but has still yet to firmly establish himself even as the team's backup quarterback.
Simpson should easily be the backup, and while that should be the case, that will be the biggest pressure point surrounding him as he enters his rookie season.
The Rams believe Simpson is the right successor when Stafford decides to call it quits. The vision for Simpson is clear, but it will start with this battle.
Simpson has all the intangibles over Bennett, including better physical upside, more developmental runway and stronger arm talent. Plain and simple, the Rams view Simpson as a quarterback they can mold over time, whereas Bennett feels more like a temporary depth option.
The best-case scenario for this battle is that Bennett pushes Simpson to another level early in the competition battle and eventually, Simpson earns the QB2 role once all is said and done.
If Simpson can’t manage to beat out Bennett for the QB2 job, there’s going to be a lot of scrutiny coming his way — and just as much directed at the Rams for how the situation plays out.
It won’t be the end all be all, but the chatter of selecting Simpson 13th overall will resurface negatively.
