Stetson Bennett is doing what he needs to despite persistent Rams QB debate

It was bound to happen. Whatever the outcome of the Los Angeles Rams' first preseason game, the stories had already been written. The narrative: the demise of rookie quarterback Ty Simpson or that of veteran backup Stetson Bennett.

For his part, Simpson aced the opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. Anxious fans finally breathed a sigh of relief. Head coach Sean McVay confirmed those positive optics, asserting that Simpson made great decisions in real time throughout the game. That should be good news.

Instead, it fueled a quarterback controversy that never was.

Preseason Week 2 helped affirm its nonexistence. Bennett had an excellent first half, finishing 19-of-31 passing for 181 yards and two rushing scores, and was named Player of the Game. Simpson played the second half and did solid work as well (8-of-12 for 73 yards).

Yes, in Game 1 Simpson played the final three quarters of the game. Yes, he completed 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns. But those TDs came in the fourth quarter against Chiefs defenders unlikely to make the team.

The first score was a 23-yard drive that required four plays. The second touchdown drive covered 87 yards in eight plays. Bennett engineered a 13-play 73-yard offensive drive that ended with a field goal for the game's first points. And this week, he found his rhythm against the New Orleans Saints.

Bennett isn't losing any ground to Simpson just yet

Comparing any quarterback to Matthew Stafford won't end well. Stafford remains a master of head coach Sean McVay's offense. McVay schemes in enough dials, wheels, and levers to give a captain like Stafford plenty of options to innovate. That creative wiggle room helped produce the top-scoring offense in 2025.

Bennett has never been the consensus backup in LA. After struggling in his rookie season, Bennett has roared back to relevance by rapidly developing into a competent combatant on the football field.

Despite Bennett's peak preseason performance last season, fans have yet to see him his resiliency in on display in the regular season. He's still seeking his first official snap. As such, many continue to doubt him.

Simpson has played well in the preseason. So has Bennett. Both statements can be true. The plan in 2026 was to give Simpson enough time on the bench to learn the offense inside and out. As well as he has played thus far, that task has not been checked off just yet.

Bennett entered the first preseason game after tossing multiple interceptions against the Cowboys during a joint practice. He eliminated those mistakes in this week's joint practice against the Saints and again on Saturday. No turnovers.

Many would pit the preseason competition as Bennett versus Simpson. The reality is that Bennett's true competition is against himself and in mastering his mistakes. Ultimately, he will set course for his own destiny.

As always, thanks for reading.

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