Rams' Ty Simpson May Have Already Worked Himself Into Bigger Role

Los Angeles Rams rookie quarterback Ty Simpson was the second quarterback in during the team's first preseason matchup, but he more than made up for that fact. Simpson appeared poised in the pocket, delivering throws to many receivers, moving the chains with ease. In comparison to Stetson Bennett IV, the rookie signal caller looked to be far more in command of the offense. Simpson ended his day with 21-for-25 attempts, 190 yards, and two touchdowns. He also had a passer rating of 125.0. In terms of Pro Football Focus, Simpson was the third-highest-ranked player on the Rams' offense, bringing in an overall grade of 78.1.  Bennett ended his day as a starter with 4-for-6 attempts for 38 yards. Bennett could have had larger or better stats, but Simpson took over at the end of the first quarter. All eyes have been on Simpson, considering he has the Rams' first-round pick, and he is the presumed successor to reigning MVP Matthew Stafford. To be fair, the Kansas City Chiefs did not have their starters on the field, nor did Los Angeles, but the rookie delivered. What makes Simpson's performance even better is that it caught the attention of head coach Sean McVay, who admitted that he is unsure if there will be a change to the order in which the quarterbacks take the field in the second preseason game.  "I think that'll be predicated on how the practice against New Orleans goes, how tomorrow goes," McVay said. Granted, McVay offered up some coach speak when asked whether or not the quarterback order would change, but the mere fact that there could be a change is what's interesting. McVay might also simply be stating that he will potentially try Simpson as the starter, and Bennett will come in later to see how that rotation works instead. Should the Rams' offense feature Simpson first, and he continues to show maturity on the field, McVay may have no choice but to push him up the depth chart.  Stafford is the key piece of the Rams' offense, but anything can happen. The longtime quarterback is currently on a modified practice schedule to preserve his longevity, which has given Bennett and Simpson more reps with the starters as well. Bennett appeared to be leading the pack in terms of the backup quarterback positions during OTAs and minicamp, and leading into preseason. However, Simpson showed that he should be given a chance to be considered to back up Stafford. Should anything befall Stafford during the regular season, McVay needs to have the best option possible ready to go in and command the Rams' offense.  Stafford has shown plenty that he can play through injury and be the "Iron Man" that the organization needs, but injuries can happen.  Should the worst-case scenario happen for the Rams, it would presumably be Bennett or Simpson stepping in. Los Angeles did not bring in an additional veteran quarterback, including multi-year backup Jimmy Garoppolo. The Rams may be plenty comfortable with both Bennett and Simpson, and they will now be battling it out through preseason to truly determine who will get the backup spot. As it stands right now, the rookie passer appears to be in the lead with two games left to play.