The Rams are taking a calculated risk at one of the most important positions on their roster. Just over a week into training camp, it’s still unclear whether they’re being prudent or playing with fire.
For a team built to win the Super Bowl, with as much top-end talent as any roster in the NFL, the reality is stark: if something happens to 38-year-old starting quarterback Matthew Stafford, they’re counting on two players who have yet to appear in an NFL game to steady the ship.
There is a silver lining. Stafford’s staggered workload has created extra opportunities for Stetson Bennett and Ty Simpson in camp. On alternating days, the third-year quarterback out of Georgia and the rookie from Alabama have taken turns running the offense. Bennett has handled most of the reps with the first team, while Simpson has worked primarily with the second unit.
“It benefits two things where it gives them reps that they wouldn’t get otherwise,” said Rams coach Sean McVay.
But opportunity only matters if it leads to answers. And so far, it hasn’t.
Neither Bennett nor Simpson has shown enough to ease the concern or inspire real confidence. Right now, the Rams aren’t developing a safety net, they’re exposing how thin it actually is. And if Stafford misses any time, even briefly, a championship-caliber roster could find itself unraveling at the one spot it can least afford it.
That isn’t to say Bennett and Simpson have struggled. Through the first week of camp, both have delivered their share of impressive moments. Bennett, as expected, looks ahead of Simpson after three years in the Rams’ system. But Simpson has already flashed traits that hint at legitimate long-term upside, the kind that suggests he could eventually step into Stafford’s role.
Still, there have been enough uneven stretches to serve as a reminder: if either quarterback were forced into action, the Rams could be navigating dangerous waters.
That’s not unique to Los Angeles. Across the NFL, the drop-off from starter to backup is often steep. And perhaps nowhere more so than with the Rams, considering Stafford is coming off an MVP season.
But the stakes in Los Angeles make that drop-off more consequential than most. This is a roster built to win now. The margin for error isn’t just slim, it’s practically nonexistent. If Stafford were to miss time, even for a game or two, the Rams can’t afford a falloff that derails everything.
Especially not in the NFC West. Especially not in a loaded NFC.
Rams’ Backup QB is pivotal role in 2026
If there is any doubt how thin that margin is, just look at last season. The difference between hosting the NFC Championship Game and traveling to Seattle – into a cold, wet, deafening environment – came down to a handful of plays. And ultimately, that was the difference between a Super Bowl berth and a season ending short of its goal.
It wasn’t one glaring flaw that doomed them. It was the margins. A special teams lapse. A missed opportunity on a critical third down. The kind of small moments that decide big games.
And there may be no position more tied to those margins than backup quarterback.
The Rams are living proof. Stafford played 98 percent of the offensive snaps last season. The only time Jimmy Garoppolo saw the field was to take a knee. He didn’t attempt a single pass.
That’s the ideal scenario. But one that’s increasingly rare.
In a league where Joe Burrow, Brock Purdy and Jayden Daniels each missed significant time last year, and only 11 quarterbacks managed to start all 17 games, relying on perfect health is a gamble.
And it’s an even bigger one when your quarterback is 38, managing a history of back issues, and already having his workload carefully monitored in camp.
At some point, the Rams may have to find out what they really have behind him.
The question is whether they can afford that moment when it comes?
The Rams were never going to get the answers they needed in training camp, especially not in the first week. Even with the pads coming on last Friday, quarterbacks still aren’t fair game.
The red jerseys make sure of that.
They’re untouchable, which makes any real evaluation incomplete. It’s one thing to operate from a clean pocket; it’s another when the edge rusher screaming off the edge is actually allowed to finish the play.
“It’s always hard to feel because we’re not tackling those guys,” said McVay. “Are you really reading with your feet? Are you speeding it up if the rush ends up getting there? But the way that we want to be able to think about what’s the best thing for Matthew. Then how do we figure out what does it look like to be able to bring those guys along?”
The first real clues should come in the opening two preseason games against the Chiefs and Saints. Stafford won’t take a snap in either, leaving Bennett and Simpson to handle the bulk of the work.
They may only see limited time against opposing starters. But the red jerseys will come off. And with them, the safety net.
That’s when it changes.
The threat of getting hit – really hit – has a way of speeding up a quarterback’s clock and warping decision-making. It exposes everything: timing, instincts, poise. It’s the line that separates quarterbacks who can function in the NFL from those who can’t.
Bennett and Simpson are about to be tested on that line.
And whatever they show won’t just shape depth chart conversations. It will define how much risk the Rams are truly carrying, and how quickly their season could tilt if they’re forced to find out the hard way.
Other QB Options for Rams
Perhaps most importantly, it will determine whether the Rams need to start making calls to solidify the position.
For now, Garoppolo appears content in a sort of semi-retirement, working on his golf game while keeping his options open. By resisting contract overtures, from the Rams or anyone else, he has positioned himself to be a phone call away if a contending team suddenly needs an emergency starter.
Derek Carr could also emerge as an option, and might welcome the opportunity, even if it means stepping in as Stafford’s backup.
Then there’s Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell, who could find himself the odd man out in Las Vegas. He’s 7–10 in 17 career starts, a number that requires context. The teams around him have struggled, making it difficult to fairly judge his ceiling based solely on record.
For now, the Rams are betting Bennett and Simpson can handle it, because if they can’t, the cost could be everything.
Answers are coming.
But for a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, this isn’t a minor detail to sort through. It’s a fault line. And if the Rams get it wrong – or wait too long to act – it’s the kind of crack that can quietly widen until it brings everything crashing down.
