Pro Football Rumors
The Rams have their short-term future in place at the quarterback spot with Matthew Stafford on the books for two more years. His long-term replacement was added via the draft when Ty Simpson was chosen 13th overall in April’s draft.
Los Angeles’ preferred setup for 2026 would have included Stafford and Simpson but also Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo has spent the past two years as the Rams’ backup, but he is giving thought to retirement. Head coach Sean McVay recently stated the team is not interested in adding a different veteran signal-caller.
As a result, Simpson is joined by Stetson Bennett as a candidate for the backup gig. Despite the way the draft played out it was the latter who received the first look on offense during Stafford maintenance days this spring, as detailed by Nate Atkins of The Athletic. Bennett has been in the Rams’ organization since being drafted in 2023, but he has yet to make a regular-season appearance.
Simpson spent 2025 as Alabama’s starter. The hot-and-cold nature of his lone campaign atop the depth chart led to questions about his status as a first-round prospect, but Simpson was a long-running Rams target. He will be expected to succeed Stafford upon the MVP’s retirement, although an injury in the near term could prove to be challenging for Los Angeles. Relying on the winner of this summer’s QB2 competition for any notable stretch would carry risk given Simpson and Bennett’s complete lack of NFL experience.
As Atkins notes, neither of Los Angeles’ young passers stood out above the other when operating the first-team offense this spring. It will be interesting to see how much of an opportunity Simpson and Bennett receive through training camp and into the preseason. A strong showing from one would ease concerns over insurance for any Stafford absences, but the quarterback depth chart will remain unsettled for the time being.
