The Los Angeles Rams have no real plans to give rookie first-round quarterback Ty Simpson any extended action in 2026. But if his performance against the Chiefs today is any indication, he at least looks capable of getting out there.
Simpson was relegated to QB3 for today's game between the Rams and Chiefs. With starter Matthew Stafford getting the night off, veteran Stetson Bennett got the starting nod for the game and played the first quarter for the Rams, leading them to a field goal on two drives.
Then Simpson got the ball in the second quarter and started to distribute the ball pretty well. Over his three quarters of action for the Rams, he completed 21 of 25 passes - a whopping 84-percent - for 190 yards and two touchdowns. He didn't commit any turnovers, didn't take a sack and ended the game with a 125.0 passer rating.
A Solid Start
NFL fans were more than happy to give Simpson his props for that performance:
"Yes it's preseason, but that accuracy has nothing to do with the level of players he's up against. The escapability, accuracy, and accuracy on the run is impressive. As he learns the offense and gets comfortable the processing speed will come, but this is an excellent start," one user on X wrote.
"Not too shabby," wrote another.
"Yeah that first-round pick was the right call," a third remarked.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
A performance like that is exactly what Simpson needed. For the better part of four months he's been taking criticism for not being "NFL ready" following his one season as the starting QB at Alabama. There was no shortage of analysts who felt that he wasn't even worth drafting at all, let alone drafting in the top-15 in the 2026 NFL Draft.
But the Rams pulled the trigger and designated Simpson as the heir-apparent to Matthew Stafford once the reigning NFL MVP retires.
