Rams playing with fire at backup QB with very little room for error in stacked NFC
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-...