And now it’s becoming a little more apparent why the Rams used the 13th overall pick in the draft on quarterback Ty Simpson.
Yes, it was only the preseason. For rookie quarterbacks, it’s all about looking the part. Simpson looked the part on Saturday at Kansas City.
Simpson completed 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns in three quarters of action.
“He took what the defense gave him,” coach Sean McVay said after the game. “You know, I thought he read the plays out, read with his feet. You know, I thought he did a really good job overall. And I thought, even on some of the keepers, where maybe the primary isn’t there, he attacks with the ball up. . . .
“I thought he kept the ball in play. You know, that’s the biggest thing, is keeping the ball in play. There was one situation there, we’ll have a great learning [opportunity] on a third down, where, you know, they kind of played a man coverage, we ended up throwing into the flat to [tight end] Max Klare. I’ve got to see — I think the pocket might allow him to be able to progress, but otherwise, it was a really good day for him. He just felt like he was in good command, and it was cool to see a good smile on his face.”
McVay may be smiling, too, if he thinks the rookie can be trusted to serve as the understudy to reigning MVP Matthew Stafford. The only other option is Stetson Bennett, who has no regular-season snaps in three seasons.
Ideally, the preseason will be Simpson’s only chance to get live reps. That likely explains the decision to give him three full quarters of playing time.
But it’s not just development for a post-Stafford future. They need to have someone ready, in the event Stafford’s back flares up or he has some other injury during the grind of a 17-game season.
