Los Angeles Rams rookie quarterback Ty Simpson might not play much or at all this regular season, but the Rams should feel pretty good about what they saw from him in the preseason.
Simpson, the No. 13 overall pick of this year’s NFL Draft, completed a ton of passes on Thursday night as he completed what has to be considered a successful preseason. Simpson played a half and completed 18 of 23 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown. It was a similar stat line to his first preseason game, when he completed 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns against the Chiefs.
Despite the good stats in the preseason, it appears Simpson is set for a redshirt rookie season.
Unless there are some injuries or changes to the depth chart, Simpson might not play this season. It appears he will begin his career as the Rams’ third-string quarterback behind Matthew Stafford and Stetson Bennett IV. Simpson got the start on Thursday while the other two rested. That’s a strong indication that Bennett has locked up the Rams’ backup quarterback job. It’s rare for a quarterback drafted as high as Simpson to be on the third team at the beginning of the season, but that’s how it appears Simpson’s NFL career will start. Though, Simpson’s preseason performances at least might give the Rams’ staff something to consider when it comes to the No. 2 quarterback job, either heading into the season or shortly into it.
Quarterback Ty Simpson got the start in the Rams’ preseason finale, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
On Thursday night Simpson completed most of his passes, which he has done through the preseason. He has shown he is capable of quick reads and delivering short passes with good timing and accuracy. Simpson completed 12 of his first 13 passes but none of the completions went for more than 10 yards.
Most of Simpson’s preseason has been taking what the defense gives him and doing it quickly. The next step in his progression will be taking smart chances downfield when opportunities arise. But that’s a reason he will be developing while not playing this season. It was still a productive preseason, which ended with Simpson completing 47-of-60 passes (78.3%) for 382 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
There were some missed opportunities at an even bigger night for Simpson and the offense. The Rams got the ball at the Chargers’ 14-yard line after a fumble but managed just five yards and a field goal. Later the Rams drove to the 1-yard line but were stuffed on consecutive runs on third and fourth down. Those failures are far from being all Simpson’s fault, but it would have looked better had those drives ended with touchdowns.
Simpson’s best play of the night, and perhaps his best play of the preseason, came on the Rams’ first touchdown. Feeling pressure he escaped the pocket to his left. Moving that way, he turned his body while on the move and made a nice throw to Brennan Presley for the score. That play showed a lot of athleticism, which was a reason Simpson was a high pick.
Bennett has been ahead of Simpson all offseason in the race to be Matthew Stafford’s backup, and Bennett played well enough in the preseason that he hasn’t lost any ground. Apparently Sean McVay had seen enough, because Bennett sat out Thursday while Simpson played. One of the knocks on Simpson coming out of college was he didn’t have much experience. He had 15 starts at Alabama, all of which came last season. Being able to sit and learn is probably good for his development. The Rams hope they don’t need any quarterback other than Stafford this season.
Rams fans got a look at Simpson, their presumed quarterback of the future, this preseason. If everything goes right, their next chance to watch him play will come next preseason.
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