The Los Angeles Rams are one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl this season. They have a lot of questions answered after trading for edge rusher Myles Garrett and cornerback Trent McDuffie. However, there are still some competitions happening for the franchise ahead of the preseason.
The backup quarterback is the big conversation surrounding the Los Angeles Rams
Apr 24, 2026; Inglewood, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams first-round draft pick Ty Simpson speaks to media during a press conference at Code Next at Hollywood Park. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
In an article written by The Athletic’s NFL staff, they discussed the biggest takeaways from the NFL offseason workouts. Nate Atkins, the staff writer who covers the Los Angeles Rams, dove into the backup quarterback competition. Below is what he wrote about the team’s position battle:
“The Rams only had three open practices to watch before they canceled veteran minicamp. but one thing that stood out was the backup quarterback race is on. This was how Sean McVay presented it upon the selection of Ty Simpson with the No. 13 pick, and then Stetson Bennett took reps first in the two practices Matthew Stafford missed to manage his back. Neither Bennett nor Simpson were able to stand out ahead of the other in these moments, as both worked on crossers, slants, outs and other basic routes, and neither produced much down the field.
“Bennett did have a lazy out throw that Trent McDuffie picked off, and Simpson overthrew a couple different deeper throws. It’s just not as simple as it was with Jimmy Garoppolo, who had started 63 games before he became Stafford’s backup the past two seasons. Los Angeles planned on bringing Garoppolo back even with the plan to draft Simpson, but with Garoppolo leaning toward retirement, time will tell whether Simpson or Bennett are ready to fill a void the Rams consider significant with Stafford’s need to take time off and with the risk from each time Stafford takes a hit.”
The competition for the backup quarterback between Stetson Bennett and Ty Simpson is going to be intriguing to watch unfold. Bennett has been a Heisman Trophy finalist for the Georgia Bulldogs and was selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. However, he has not seen the field for any snaps since being drafted. Simpson was selected 13th in the most recent draft class, so it will be interesting to see which quarterback can get the leg-up to back up reigning MVP Matt Stafford for the Los Angeles Rams this season.