Rams preseason Q & A: What fans should watch for in opener versus Chiefs

The Los Angeles Rams are set to kick off the preseason four days from now against the Kansas City Chiefs, on Saturday, August 15, at 1 PM PT. While many familiar faces will sit on the sidelines, the game will be a chance to see rookies and bubble players on full display.

Quarterback Ty Simpson will run the offense; receiver CJ Daniels and tight end Max Klare should get some good reps, as should rookie tackle Keagen Trost and second-year running back Jarquez Hunter.

That's just the offense, and hardly a wholesale accounting. With that, then, here are five questions Rams fans can answer for themselves leading up to the game.

1. Who will you be most interested in seeing play against the Chiefs?

While all eyes will be on rookie quarterback Ty Simpson and how he runs the offense, my eyes will be trained on who the team sends out to return kickoffs and punts. The special teams disaster from 2025 has yet to be resolved. Will Los Angeles be content to run it back with mostly the same players? Or will special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone have a trick or two up his sleeve? - Bret Stuter

Ty Simpson is in the mix, of course, but I'll be especially interested to see how rookie tackle Keagen Trost fares in any work he gets against the Chiefs defensive line. Given the Rams' depth issues on the offensive front, aggravated by Alaric Jackson's likely suspension, Trost is among the rookies the team could depend on most. After a quiet training camp, preseason will be his chance to shine. - John Sbisa

2. Which player has the most to gain?

Stuter: Second-year players who had almost no work last season fill this category. While I do not expect tight end Terrance Ferguson to play, defensive tackle Ty Hamilton and running back Jarquez Hunter could make huge cases to claim a roster spot with solid performances.

Sbisa: Any wide receiver competing to be WR3. That could be rookie CJ Daniels. It could be Konata Mumpfield, Jordan Whittington, or Xavier Smith. Whoever maximizes his opportunities will gain a leg up in what remains a wide-open competition to establish a third option behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.

3. Which player has the most to lose?

Stuter: Some Rams players have a slipping grip on their roles from 2025 that have carried over. As a result, players like wide receiver Jordan Whittington, tight end Davis Allen, and edge rusher Keir Thomas must show even more potential. Otherwise, they risk giving the impression that they have peaked, opening opportunities for younger teammates to supplant them on the depth chart.

Sbisa: I'll go with Xavier Smith, who had a poor training camp and, surprisingly, finds his role as a punt returner - and in turn his roster spot - in jeopardy after doing a solid job last season (let's not revisit the NFC Championship Game). He can counteract that by stepping up as a receiver, but thus far he hasn't generated much summer buzz there, either.

If Smith doesn't jump on an early opportunity in the preseason, it could have a snowball effect as the Rams pivot to test out other options. He might not get a second chance.

4. Which Rams player will score the first touchdown?

Stuter: The offense will be a hodgepodge of players fighting for their NFL careers, so standouts will be difficult to choose without evidence from previous preseasons. The first touchdown scored in LA's preseason last year was a touchdown run by Blake Corum.

So, why not expect a similar result, but with a different player? I like Jarquez Hunter to score early, for the same reasons that Corum scored. Los Angeles will run a vanilla offense, making the running game more effective.

Sbisa: This may require a bit more connection than the Rams' rookie-led offense can muster in its debut, but what the heck, let's go CJ Daniels with the touchdown catch from Simpson. The sixth-round pick has already made waves in training camp. Preseason will give Daniels a chance to continue riding that momentum as fans eagerly watch his every snap.

5. Which Rams defender will record the first sack?

Stuter: Who will play in the preseason is the deciding factor. Rookie outside linebacker Josaiah Stewart recorded LA's lone sack a year ago. I like to shake things up. Veteran outside linebacker Tomon Fox is my pick to record the first sack. But I won't be the least bit surprised if defensive lineman Larrell Murchison does instead.

There are so many questions surrounding the depth of this defense, and a solid performance by anyone will go a very long way to solidify the final pieces of a championship roster.

Sbisa: Another hype-train selection: undrafted rookie Wesley Bailey. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Louisville product surged toward the end of training camp and is one of the Rams' depth options that could actually make some noise in the race for the final edge-rusher roster spot.

In the preseason opener, going with a veteran like Tomon Fox, Larrell Murchison, or even Keir Thomas might be the better bet, but let's see what this young buck has got after turning heads to close out camp.

Rams preseason is almost here

Even as the preseason ultimately matters little for many players on the roster, there is plenty to fight for, both in terms of a present role and future standing, for those who will take the field. The five points above hardly scratch the surface. Rams fans can hardly wait.

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