Sean McVay Creates More Questions with Rams Backup QB Response

When the Los Angeles Rams drafted Ty Simpson in the first round, experts projected him as Matthew Stafford’s protégé. Until Simpson is ready, he will serve as Stafford’s backup. But Sean McVay and the Rams coaching staff threw a curveball by naming Stetson Bennett ahead of Simpson on the depth chart for the 2026 NFL season.

Bennett and Simpson competed for the backup job throughout the offseason, at spring camp and in preseason. Simpson pulled ahead of Bennett by ending his first preseason in the NFL with 47 of 60 pass attempts for 382 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. He threw 21 completions for 190 yards and 2 touchdowns in a win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Bennett completed 19 of 31 pass attempts (61.3%) for 181 yards, zero passing touchdowns, and zero interceptions, while adding two rushing touchdowns.

It looked like only a matter of time before the Rams would declare Simpson as Stafford’s backup. So, imagine the surprise when McVay and the Rams coaching staff placed Bennett at QB2 in the depth chart days after announcing the 53-man roster.

Reporters asked McVay the reason behind picking Bennett over Simpson. McVay’s answer raised more questions.

I look at it as you like both of those are going to play. But you saw we listed Stetson as the two, Ty as the three. But I look at it as 2A and 2B.

Sean McVay said via the LA Rams official transcript

pic.twitter.com/8AF01r735u

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 30, 2026

The Rams aren’t the only quarterback shocker the NFL witnessed this year. NFC rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, also faced a similar selection dilemma between Joe Milton and Sam Howell. Dallas took a unique approach. They waived Milton, making Howell the de facto backup to Dak Prescott. A few days later, they re-signed Milton after no other team showed interest in signing the former Tennessee Vols star.

Sean McVay doubles down on his decision to start Stetson Bennett as Matthew Stafford’s backup instead of Ty Simpson

Stafford won the league MVP last year for taking the Rams as far as the NFC title game. But the former first overall pick is 38 years old, and although he’s still a great quarterback, the Rams can’t bank on him to continue delivering for three or four more years.

This knowledge made the Rams favorites to draft a quarterback. However, nobody could have predicted that they would take a quarterback in the first round, let alone 13^th overall. Various divisive theories were floated behind Simpson’s selection; the former Alabama star, who only had one full season before his selection, proved in the preseason that the Rams had hit a bullseye.

Taking a page out of the Green Bay Packers’ book, McVay and the Rams selected Stetson Bennett, a two-time CFP champion with Georgia, in the fourth round of the 2023 draft. Experts predicted Bennett to have a similar outcome to Jordan Love. Love got the nod as the Packers’ starter after Aaron Rodgers departed. Bennett has played just two games in three years for the NFC West franchise.

Simpson’s presence has complicated the situation. And just when it was beginning to look like he had edged out Bennett in preseason, McVay made another surprising decision. The Super Bowl winner defended it when reporters pressured him for a clear answer.

I’ll tell you when I decide who is going to be the actual two in the game. I’ve talked to the players about [it], but that’s something that they’re both going to continue to train regardless of who it ends up being up and who is the emergency third.

McVay said

At least, the Rams won’t have to fret over the starting quarterback situation. Stafford extended his contract by one year. Stafford will start in week one against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia.

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