The LA Rams first preseason game is coming fast as they will take on Kansas City on Aug. 15. Head coach Sean McVay just revealed his thoughts on who will start at quarterback, and he is leaning towards giving Ty Simpson the nod and benching Stetson Bennett for all three of their preseason games.
Matthew Stafford will be the Rams starting quarterback during the regular season, but just like the past few years they will preserve his health by not letting him play during the preseason. This gives the Rams backups a chance to play and develop, and that is where Simpson will come into play as their newly drafted QB.
McVay however is thinking about benching Bennett too. This doesn't mean Bennett has lost the competition to be Stafford's backup, it actually could be a sign that he won the job since the Rams benched their second string during the preseason last year too
“McVay told reporters on Saturday that Ty Simpson will definitely play in the preseason but he’s unsure if Bennett will play at all,” Cameron DeSilva said via theramswire.usatoday.com. “Bennett has been the Rams’ primary quarterback in the preseason for the last three years, but he could get the veteran treatment this summer.”
LA Rams are debating sitting Stetson Bennett all preseason
The Rams haven't made a final decision yet, but as of now they are thinking about only playing Simpson at quarterback throughout the preseason. This means Bennett would ride the bench not only during the regular season but during the preseason as well.
This is really bad timing for Bennett at this point in his career. Bennett is in his final year of his contract which could be his last with the Rams. Stafford is signed through the 2027 season so he will be the Rams starter for at least two more years. On top of that, the Rams drafting Simpson in the first round shows they want him to be their future quarterback after Stafford instead of Bennett.
So Bennett needs to use this next season to show other teams why they should sign him next offseason, but if he doesn't play during the preseason he might not get a chance to play all year. That could make teams very hesitant to sign him because they haven't been able to see how he looks on the field.
Stetson Bennett is running out of time to prove he can be the Rams’ long-term QB
Bennett has one more year to prove why he deserves a second NFL contract. Up to this point he hasn't played any meaningful regular season snaps, but he has been able to play in the preseason the last few years. Bennett however might not play in the preseason this year, and now he is officially running out of time to prove he can be a great NFL quarterback.
As of now Bennett is the leader in the competition against Simpson to be No. 2 on the Rams' depth chart. He has been taking snaps with the starters during training camp while Stafford's been resting, and the Rams potentially benching him for the preseason has more to do with preserving his health than Simpson being a better player.
Bennett needs all the snaps he can get (even in the preseason) to show the Rams and other teams why he can be a legit NFL starter, without those snaps then he may get less looks from other teams next offseason.
The Rams future is with Simpson. There is a chance they could still resign Bennett, but they would likely want him to continue being a backup. Bennett wants more than that, so he likely will have to find a different team to play for next season who is willing to give him a chance to be a starter. If the Rams don't give him a chance to play though then it could be really challenging to find a team willing to take a chance on him as their starter next year.
Add us as a preferred source on Google