LOS ANGELES — Ty Simpson didn’t get many reps during the Rams’ offseason program. Starting quarterback Matthew Stafford naturally got the lion’s share, while Stetson Bennett IV filled the backup role. That left but a few live opportunities for the rookie.
Read more A longtime dream becomes LJ’s Lounge at Triangle Square
But the No. 13 overall pick in April’s NFL draft used other means to reinforce what he learned in the film room each morning. Simpson would take each day’s offensive script and record himself reading it aloud. When he laid down for bed, he would listen to the audio file. Then again as he walked into the Rams’ practice facility the next day, repeating each play call aloud.
“I want to make sure that it’s the last thing that I think about when I go to bed and the first thing that I wake up to,” Simpson said. “You got to put time into it. What you pour into it is what you’re going to get out of it, right?”
Whether or not Simpson – the raw prospect whom the Rams shocked the NFL by taking in the first round of April’s draft – proves to be Stafford’s long-term successor is a question that might not be answered in 2026. Truth be told, the Rams would prefer not to know his game-readiness for many years if that means a clean bill of health for Stafford.
But those kinds of moments are what the Rams want to see from Simpson as he prepares for the start of training camp, which begins Sunday at Loyola Marymount University in Westchester. Getting creative with his learning process. Asking good questions in meetings. Continuing that dialogue outside the quarterback room.
So far, Simpson has hit all those marks.
“First things first, you want to see, do they come in? Are they coachable? Are they willing to work? And you’ve seen that from Ty from Day One,” Rams offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase said. “He’s an early-morning, stay-long type of guy, which you’ve got to be at that position. He’s coming with the right mentality.”
Simpson jokes he might be starting to annoy Stafford and Bennett with his many questions. And he has also pestered quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone, who has earned a reputation for spending as much time with the third-string QB as the first the past two years.
Read more Messy primaries plague both major political parties, causing chaos and confusion in the midterms
“He understands, you know, kind of how we operate and how we see things,” Simpson said. “He’s as detailed as it comes. He pours into us. Anytime we want to meet extra, he’s always there. And I really appreciate how he’s worked and how he’s kind of, you know, taken the reins of making sure that I know every detail of the offense and making sure that I’m ready.”
“Ready” is the word in every question surrounding Simpson since he was drafted. Is he ready for NFL speed? Ready to read NFL coverages? Ready to run a Sean McVay offense? Ready to run the scout team and prepare the defense for game days?
Ready to step in if the 38-year-old Stafford is hurt?
It’s a question that will linger if the Rams don’t add more experience at the quarterback position between now and Week 1, a possibility McVay said the Rams hadn’t considered but hadn’t ruled out, either. Because this is a Rams offense meant to win now and win big.
You don’t return the NFL MVP in Stafford along with the entire starting offensive line, the two league-leading receivers, the two leading rushers and the four playbook-opening tight ends from the top scoring offense of 2025 without big aspirations. The Rams can’t afford too steep a drop if something were to happen to Stafford, not with their Super Bowl potential.
Training camp could offer more opportunities for Simpson to show what he’s capable of in the here and now. Stafford missed most of camp last year with a back injury, and although that is no longer an issue, the Rams liked how fresh Stafford was for the regular season after his light summer. They could follow a similar pattern this camp and provide more snaps to Simpson and Bennett.
“I feel like I’m a freshman again, right? Like, you know, drinking from a fire hydrant. You’re expected a lot. The quarterback runs the show here, just how I like it,” Simpson said. “I still want to be able to perform whenever my name’s called. So, whatever the team needs me to do, I want to be able to; there’s no drop‑off. So, you just got to be in tune to everything and just make sure that I’m ready.”
Read more Louisiana Attorney General Murrill says prosecutor dropped all felony charges against her