The Los Angeles Rams have a problem at backup quarterback, and it stems from how the organization has handled first-round pick Ty Simpson since draft night. 

Simpson, the 13th overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, was already a polarizing pick because he didn’t fit the immediate timeline of a team trying to win a Super Bowl. Now, two preseason games into the 2026 season, the situation behind quarterback Matthew Stafford has become even more confusing.

There are two separate conversations happening here. 

The first is about Simpson himself and how he looks and feels as a young quarterback still developing. The second, and more pressing issue, is what the Rams are doing with their preseason reps and why the distribution makes so little sense.

The preseason reps tell a troubling story

Simpson threw 25 passes against the Kansas City Chiefs in the first preseason game. Stetson Bennett threw six. Against the New Orleans Saints, those numbers flipped almost exactly. Bennett threw 31 passes and received the entire first half, while Simpson was relegated to the second half with the game already out of hand. 

By the time Simpson entered, the Rams were pulling off the gas with a massive lead. They weren’t going to air it out and run up the score.

The mirror-image passing attempt totals across two games suggest something specific: this is a legitimate backup quarterback battle. 

Reports out of camp have indicated that Simpson has not separated himself from Bennett. If the Rams viewed Simpson as the clear No. 2, the rep distribution would look dramatically different. Bennett would have thrown maybe 20 passes across both games, and Simpson would be pushing 40-plus attempts. 

Instead, an identical volume says the coaching staff hasn’t made up its mind.

The fundamental problem with this quarterback room

The core issue isn’t really about Simpson’s development or Bennett’s competence. It’s about the construction of the room itself. 

Simpson barely played at Alabama, starting just one full season. He was drafted as a long-term investment, a quarterback who would sit behind Stafford, learn Sean McVay’s offense, and eventually take over. 

That timeline demands maximum preseason reps. Every snap Simpson doesn’t take is a wasted developmental opportunity.

But here’s the counterargument, and credit to Austin Stanley of A to Z Sports for raising this point last week: if Bennett is going to be the backup quarterback in 2026, he needs reps too. 

Stafford is aging and has dealt with back problems throughout his career. He could be one play away from missing time. If that happens and Bennett hasn’t had meaningful preseason work, the Rams are in serious trouble.

This is exactly why the room needed a veteran like Jimmy Garoppolo, who spent last season with the team. Garoppolo wouldn’t need preseason reps. You could throw him out for a series per game, put him on the shelf, and funnel the remaining snaps to Simpson. 

A veteran backup would have solved the short-term concern while allowing the long-term investment to develop. Instead, the Rams created an untenable situation where two quarterbacks who both need reps are competing for the same limited opportunities.

No outcome here is good for the Rams

If Bennett wins the backup job, the Rams have uncertainty behind Stafford and a poor optical situation. Their first-round quarterback couldn’t beat out a career backup, and it raises serious questions about whether the Simpson pick was a mistake. 

If Simpson wins and Bennett gets cut or demoted to the practice squad, it looks bad from the other direction because the coaching staff didn’t give Simpson enough opportunities to develop with live reps during the preseason.

Either way, the Rams lose.

The decision to draft Simpson at No. 13 already didn’t align with a championship window. There was no attention to the short term. That was a long-term play. 

But now the organization is clearly pouring attention into Bennett’s development, which directly contradicts the purpose of making that first-round investment. You are wasting time and reps on a player who is never going to be part of the long-term plan.

Simpson should play the entire third preseason game. The Rams should be maximizing every possible rep for their future franchise quarterback. If the coaching staff truly doesn’t trust Simpson as the backup yet, the answer isn’t to split reps with Bennett. 

The answer is to go sign or trade for a veteran and let Simpson develop on a true redshirt timeline.

This is one of the more puzzling situations McVay has put himself in. The backup quarterback room he’s constructed is counterproductive to both the Rams’ 2026 aspirations and their post-Stafford future. 

Something needs to change before the regular season arrives.