Sean McVay wont name Rams QB2, but may have already tipped his hand

Sean McVay says he hasn’t picked Matthew Stafford’s backup quarterback yet.Maybe he hasn’t.But the breadcrumbs are beginning to look a lot like a trail leading directly to Stetson Bennett IV.McVay remained deliberately noncommittal Monday when asked whether Bennett or rookie Ty Simpson will open the regular season as Stafford’s understudy when the Los Angeles Rams face the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia on Sept.

10.“No, absolutely not,” McVay said when asked if a decision had been made or communicated to either quarterback.“We haven’t talked about that or decided that yet.

We can talk about it, but we haven’t decided that yet.”Officially, then, the competition continues.Unofficially? Watch what McVay does, not necessarily what he says.Bennett has started both preseason games.He received nine of the Rams’ 15 second-team practice reps Monday, compared with six for Simpson.

And when McVay was asked whether Bennett would play Thursday against the Chargers, he said he hadn’t decided.When the question turned to Simpson, there was no hesitation.“Oh yeah, Ty’s definitely going to play,” McVay said.That doesn’t sound like a depth chart announcement, but it certainly sounds like a clue.McVay traditionally treats quarterbacks he expects to need during the regular season like expensive glassware in August.Stafford rarely sees preseason action and Jimmy Garoppolo, the Rams’ backup the past two seasons, was similarly protected.This summer is different because Garoppolo is gone and the Rams have a legitimate competition between Bennett, entering his fourth NFL season, and Simpson, the No.

13 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft.Simpson made the race interesting with an impressive preseason opener against Kansas City, completing 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns.Then Bennett responded with an impressive first half in the team’s second preseason game against the Saints on Saturday.The two-time CFP National Champion w...