Stetson Bennett did not play in the Rams' final preseason game against the Chargers on Thursday despite starting in their first two preseason games this season. The Rams instead went with rookie quarterback Ty Simpson in his place, and he had a solid game.
Simpson led the Rams to a 20-18 victory behind an efficient performance. He completed 18 of 23 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown while also scrambling for a few yards on the ground as well. This wasn't the greatest performance in the world, but it was enough for fans to question if Simpson or Bennett should be the Rams' backup quarterback this season.
Stetson Bennett's hopes to win the Rams' backup QB job hit a minor bump in the road
Throughout training camp Bennett has looked like the Rams preferred backup quarterback option. Not only did he play well in their first two preseason games, but the Rams were giving him first team reps in practice over Simpson when they were resting starting quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Simpson however shined once again during their final preseason game and that questions if Bennett should win the backup job and if he will be able to keep it all season long.
The fact that Bennett didn't play on Thursday is a decent sign that he will be the Rams' backup quarterback this year. LA likely chose to keep him sidelined in an effort to preserve his health, and they would only feel the need to do that if they thought he was their top backup QB option.
Simpson however may have given the Rams second thoughts on who their backup should be after Thursday's game. The Rams first game of the regular season is a few weeks away and at some point they will announce who their backup is. Bennett still might be the favorite to win that job, but it doesn't feel as guaranteed as it once looked.
Ty Simpson's coninued success hurts Stetson Bennett's long-term future with the Rams
Simpson's success during the preseason this year hurts Stetson's Bennett potential future with the Rams. The general consensus among NFL talking heads is that Bennett has no future with the Rams regardless of how this season unfolds since they drafted Simpson in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. If Simpson didn't perform well then there would be a solid chance the Rams could resign Bennett again when his contract expires after this year, but Simpson has played well throughout the preseason.
Not only did he play at a high level during their final preseason game against the Chargers, but he was even better during the Rams' first preseason game two weeks ago. This not only questions if Bennett will win the backup quarterback job for this entire season, but it likely decreased his chances of the Rams resigning him next offseason.
Bennett hopefully has shown enough for another team to take a chance on him next season. He however won't know what his future holds until this season comes to an end, so for now all he can do is continue to battle Ty Simpson every day and try to win and keep the Rams' backup quarterback job all season.
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