Stetson Bennett started at quarterback during the Rams' first preseason game last weekend. Fast forward to this week though and head coach Sean McVay isn't sure if he will start again or even play at all in their next preseason game.
The Rams have another preseason game this Saturday, but after practice on Monday McVay shared that he is waiting for the rest of their practices this week to decide if Bennett will play at all or if rookie Ty Simpson will play the entire game instead.
"A large part of that decision will be predicated on what happens on Tuesday, and then a lot of it, especially with what happens on Thursday," Rams head coach Sean McVay said after Monday's practice via therams.com.
LA Rams aren't sure if Stetson Bennett will play alongside Ty Simpson in their next preseason game
First round draft pick Ty Simpson will play in every preseason game this year, but the same can't be said for Bennett.
The Rams, along with many other NFL teams, like to rest their established players during preseason games. Instead of risking injury they will let their rookies and other players fighting for roster spots play instead. That is where Bennett currently sits as he enters his fourth season with the Rams. He doesn't need to play since he's already proven what kind of player he is, and if he is the Rams' current backup quarterback it'd be silly to risk injury.
Sean McVay said he will wait to see how practice go the rest of this week to decide if Bennett will play or not. If Bennett practices well then there may not be a need for him to play, but if he struggles then they might want to get him some more reps in their next preseason game.
If Bennett doesn't play at all on Saturday that could be a sign that he's locked up the backup job to starting quarterback Matthew Stafford. Ty Simpson however played extremely well last week, so the leader of Bennett's competition with Simpson isn't as obvious as it once was.
Stetson Bennett's competition with Ty Simpson isn't as obvious as it once was
Bennett started the Rams' first preseason game and only played two series before Simpson came in for the rest of the game. This was a clear sign that Bennett was the Rams' current backup, but then Simpson went off by completing 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns.
One good performance likely won't change the pecking order on the Rams' quarterback depth chart, but it may make the Rams think a little bit. If Simpson continues playing at a high level then they eventually could move him ahead of Bennett on their depth chart, and if that happens Bennett's time in LA could be over.
Bennett is in the last year of his contract with the Rams. When the Rams drafted Simpson in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft they indirectly announced that he was their future at quarterback instead of Bennett. That hasn't been guaranteed by any means, but multiple NFL analysts believe the Rams won't resign Bennett and will ride with Simpson after this year regardless of how this season unfolds.
Bennett doesn't have time to think about his future after this year. He needs to do what he can right now to earn the backup job for this season. Doing that will give him a chance to play in the regular season if Matthew Stafford gets hurt or if a game turns into a blowout. Those opportunities during the regular season could be his best chance to get signed next offseason, so these next two weeks will be critical as he hopes to win the backup job over Ty Simpson.
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