ty simpson

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It did not take long for Ty Simpson to acclimate to the NFL.

In his pro debut, the Rams rookie quarterback passed for two touchdowns and made no major errors in a 20-12 preseason victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium.

“I definitely felt more comfortable than I ever have in a game,” said Simpson, who completed 21 of 25 attempts for 190 yards.

It was a much-awaited first game for Simpson after the Rams shocked fans and much of the NFL by picking him so high in the draft after he started only 15 games for Alabama.

Fourth-year pro Stetson Bennett played the first two series — the first against many Chiefs starters — and led a field-goal drive on the second one before Simpson came on with 11 seconds left in the first quarter.

Simpson’s first series ended with him bobbling a high snap, and then making a smart decision to throw the ball out of bounds. From that point on, offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase called play-action bootlegs and other rollouts that enabled Simpson to find receivers, many of them wide open.

“Once that first drive kind of got done, I was like, ‘All right, well yeah, this is just like playing in the backyard,’” Simpson said.

Simpson’s parents and brother were in attendance, and he credited family, coaches and teammates for helping him relax and excel. He finished two second-half drives with short touchdown passes to running back Dean Connors.

“I thought Ty had great command all day,” coach Sean McVay said. “It was a great step in the right direction for him.”

During training camp and recent practices, Bennett took first-team snaps when starter Matthew Stafford was held out. He took second-team snaps when Stafford practiced.

So he appeared to enter the game as the presumptive frontrunner to back up the reigning NFL most valuable player.

Rams quarterback Ty Simpson celebrates after a touchdown against the Chiefs on Saturday.

(Reed Hoffmann / Associated Press)

Does Simpson’ performance change anything?

“We’re going to continue to evaluate it like anything else,” McVay said.

Simpson is not getting caught up in whether there is a true competition.

“That’s a head-man decision and executive decision,” he said. “I just know that I’m happy to be here and I’m working to make sure that I do anything the team needs me to do.”

Other takeaways from the Rams’ preseason victory:

Stetson Bennett steady in start

Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett passes in the first quarter against the Chiefs on Saturday.

(David Eulitt / Getty Images)

Bennett, a fourth-year pro making his seventh preseason start, completed four of six passes for 38 yards and led a field-goal drive before giving way to Simpson.

The first series ended when the Chiefs broke up a third-down pass.

During the second series, Bennett completed four passes during a 13-play, 73-yard field-goal drive that stalled at the six-yard line after the Chiefs broke up his third-down pass to rookie tight end Max Klare in the end zone.

“Stetson did a nice job,” McVay said. “He came in and did a nice job orchestrating a nice drive on the second series.”

Offensive lineman Keagen Trost injured

If the Super Bowl-favorite Rams have a potential weakness, it’s offensive line depth.

They selected former Missouri standout Keagen Trost in the third round with the hope that he could provide versatility. And with left tackle Alaric Jackson possibly facing a suspension if the NFL determines that he violated the league’s personal conduct policy, Trost could be counted on immediately.

Trost started at right tackle, but he left after two series because of a hamstring injury he apparently sustained as part of the protection unit for a Rams field-goal attempt.

“He was pretty bummed,” McVay said, adding that Trost would undergo tests to determine the severity of the issue.

Receiver Mario Williams also sustained a hamstring injury on a kickoff return, McVay said.

Tight end Max Klare the go-to receiver

Chiefs wide receiver Nikko Remigio is tackled by Rams safety Alex Cook during the first half Saturday.

(Reed Hoffmann / Associated Press)

Max Klare, a second-round draft pick out of Ohio State, was targeted eight times, and caught seven passes for 37 yards.

Klare is part of a loaded position group that includes veterans Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen and second-year pro Terrance Ferguson.

But Klare showed skills that could help the Rams this season and beyond.

Receiver CJ Daniels, who made multiple plays during training camp, caught two passes for 18 yards.

Defense holds Chiefs to field goals

Outside linebacker Desjuan Johnson, a rotational player last season, was the most notable member of a defense that played a few series against quarterback Justin Fields and the rest of the game against Garrett Nussmeier and Chris Oladokun.

Johnson sacked Nussmeier in the third quarter. Rookie lineman Tim Keenan also had a sack.

Safety Nick Andersen had a team-best nine tackles for the Rams.

Harrison Mevis picks up where he left off

In his first game under new special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone, Harrison Mevis kicked field goals of 25 and 40 yards.

Ethan Evans averaged nearly 61 yards for four punts.

Smith returned three punts for 52 yards.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Rams shocked fans — and much of the NFL — when they selected quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th pick in the NFL draft.

Simpson started only 15 games at Alabama before the Rams ostensibly made him the eventual heir apparent to Matthew Stafford.

Now, after offseason workouts, two weeks of training camp and a few preseason practices, Simpson will get his first NFL game opportunity when the Rams open the preseason against Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m. PDT (CBS).

Fourth-year pro Stetson Bennett will start, but Simpson will play in the game.

“I’m really ready to show who I am,” Simpson said this week.

Simpson, 23, acknowledges the pressure that comes with his draft position, especially for a team that is favored to win Super Bowl LXI. But he does not feel it.

Not outwardly, anyway.

“I try to be as present as I can, and make sure every day I understand how much of a blessing it is knowing that I am the No. 13 pick and everything that comes with it,” Simpson said during training camp. “But also understanding that being here every day, and making the most out of every opportunity that I get, is everything I can ask for.”

Simpson started slow in the first few training camp workouts, but he appeared to break through when he stepped up in the pocket and completed a pass across the middle of the field. Simpson said he had begun to “put the puzzle pieces together,” marrying concepts with lessons learned watching Stafford and Bennett.

Star receiver Puka Nacua noticed.

“His arm and the confidence that he’s throwing the ball with has definitely grown a ton,” since offseason workouts, Nacua said before the Rams broke camp. “I think he’s feeling more comfortable in the pocket, understanding and seeing more guys run routes.”

Said offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase: “You’ve certainly seen him go and make some throws and go and compete in a really cool way.”

During this week’s joint workout with the Dallas Cowboys, Simpson played a few series, and completed a touchdown pass during a red-zone period.

But there is no tackling during practices. So Saturday will be Simpson’s first time experiencing NFL contact.

“It’s going to be a whole different lifestyle,” he quipped.

Rams quarterback Ty Simpson looks to pass during a drill in training camp at Loyola Marymount on July 27.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

Coach Sean McVay does not play starters or other projected significant contributors during the preseason. In addition to Nacua and Davante Adams being held out, receivers Jordan Whittington and Konata Mumpfield also will not play, McVay said.

Simpson’s fellow rookies — tight end Max Klare, offensive lineman Keagan Trost, receiver CJ Daniels and defensive lineman Tim Keenan — will play.

Scheelhaase will call plays.

This will be Bennett’s seventh — and most important — preseason start.

Jimmy Garoppolo is no longer on the roster and Stafford was on a limited schedule during training camp, so Bennett worked with the first-team offense for the first time in his career. The former Georgia star, who led the Bulldogs to two national titles, played with confidence and made plays in his bid to show McVay and teammates that he can step in if Stafford is sidelined during the season.

McVay is looking to see how Bennett and Simpson manage the offense before and after the snap. He anticipates that both will use their mobility to make plays if the pocket collapses.

“Seeing some of that stuff come to life will be important,” McVay said. “But I think it’s got to occur naturally.”

Stafford, Bennett and quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone are among those who have eased Simpson’s transition to the NFL. As Simpson prepared for Saturday’s game, Stafford offered counsel.

“The best advice he gave me was, ‘Just go let it rip. It’s nothing that you haven’t done before,’” Simpson said.

But this will be the first time Simpson will do it as a pro.

Simpson anticipates that it will be “surreal” to put on his game jersey and fulfill a dream of playing in the NFL.

“There are going to be things that I mess up on,” he said. “I’m going to learn from them and move on, and next week be able to learn from it and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Matthew Stafford is a master at reading defenses.

The Rams star quarterback manipulates opposing players with his eyes. He knows what he sees.

So the reigning NFL most valuable player can easily anticipate, recognize and digest why moves — on or off the field — are made.

Which brings us to the Rams’ decision to select former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th pick in the NFL draft.

“I understand where the team’s coming from,” Stafford, 38, told reporters last week in his first public comments about a move that stunned many. “Listen, I’m not 25 years old and I get that, so we’re doing everything we can to be as good a football team as we can for now, for the future, for all of it.”

That doesn’t mean Stafford was thrilled about general manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay spending a first-round pick on his heir apparent.

This, however, is not the San Francisco 49ers trading for Steve Young with Joe Montana on the roster.

But the Rams bypassed an opportunity to give Stafford and an already loaded roster another weapon such as former USC receiver Makai Lemon, who might have provided immediate impact to help them reach and win Super Bowl LXI in February at SoFi Stadium.

Because the Rams showed five years ago that going all in and winning a Super Bowl was worth it, regardless of the perceived and real costs down the road.

Regardless, the Rams are considered among the favorites to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since Stafford led them to victory in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium.

Like they did before and during that 2021 season, the Rams have done almost everything possible to ensure that owner Stan Kroenke can once again bask in the glory of winning a Super Bowl in the stadium he built.

After losing last season’s NFC championship game, the team quickly signed McVay and Snead — who were entering the final years of their contracts — to long-term extensions.

Then they improved their roster’s main weak spot by trading for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, and signing cornerback Jaylen Watson — both of whom played on two Super Bowl championship teams with the Kansas City Chiefs.

On May 21, they signed Stafford to a one-year, $55-million extension that could keep him with the team through 2027.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and coach Sean McVay talk during practice on Thursday.

(Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Associated Press)

Whether the 17-year veteran and reigning NFL most valuable player plays beyond 2026 remains to be seen.

But McVay is happy that the future hall of famer will be leading the offense.

“It’s great to be able to have that taken care of,” McVay said in his first news conference with local reporters since April 24, the day after the Rams drafted Simpson.

McVay had spent the previous availability explaining the reason for his somber and dour countenance during an awkward news conference the night before. McVay said he was trying to be respectful of Stafford’s status as the team leader, and that a personal situation also had affected his demeanor.

On the night the Rams drafted Simpson, McVay said he had spoken with Stafford beforehand. When asked what he told Stafford, McVay said, “I’ll keep that between us.”

Last week, when asked about his discussion with McVay, Stafford said, “I’m not going to get in too much to what our conversation was. I appreciate him talking with me about those kinds of things. We have constant dialogue and a great relationship so I appreciate that.”

Stafford said his job as the starting quarterback was to help all players, including Simpson, prepare for the season.

“He’s a guy that asks questions,” Stafford said. “I’ve been trying to answer those as honestly and as thoroughly as I possibly can.

“He’s a smart kid. He’s got talent, obviously. He’s a high draft pick so happy to add good players to our team.”

It is too early to quantify what Simpson has brought to the team, McVay said. The offseason workout program is about “setting foundations” that will help once players are participating in full-speed settings during training camp.

Simpson is on track for a lot of reps when camp begins in late July at Loyola Marymount.

Last year, Stafford was sidelined all of training camp because of a back issue. But he returned before the opener and won his first MVP award.

So the Rams are expected to modify Stafford’s traditional training camp workload — and aim for similar results.

Offseason workouts are going well, Stafford said.

“Throwing it like I know how to throw it and for somebody my age,” he quipped. “I feel pretty good.”

Even with the extension, the Rams and Stafford will continue to talk contract on a year-to-year basis, a practice they have followed since 2024, when Stafford delayed his arrival to training camp because of an impasse.

“I can’t sit there and tell you what it’s going to look like 365 days from now,” he said. “But it’s just one of those deals where I’m doing the best I can to make sure that I can play as long as I can and make sure that my family and I are all on the same page before we embark on whatever season it may be.”

If this season plays out as expected, the Rams could give Stafford another weapon at the trade deadline.

Until then, they’ve guaranteed him plenty of cash.

And motivation.