RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 1: Ty Simpson #15 of the Los Angeles Rams throws during training camp at Loyola Marymount University on August 1, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ty Simpson is going to see the field during the preseason for the Los Angeles Rams. Coach Sean McVay confirmed as much this weekend. Ideally, he’ll play quite a bit.
But while it’s completely understandable if Rams fans want to see him ball out and go ballistic during the exhibition slate, that feels like a pure bonus for Year 1 of the Ty Simpson Plan. Realistically, he doesn’t need to show much beyond basic competence.
That sounds feeble, and if it sounds like an extreme case of handling him with kid gloves, that’s a valid take. But this isn’t a young quarterback who needs to dominate right away. This isn’t even a young quarterback who’s guaranteed to be the backup right away. This is a young quarterback who has barely played meaningful football since enrolling at Alabama in 2022.
Getting reps (and a lot of them) is the No. 1 goal for Simpson this preseason. He has to play. He has to get under center, get in the gun, go through progressions, hand it off, whatever the case may be, while under fire. Yes, he performed well enough in his lone season as a starter at Alabama to earn himself a first-round selection this past spring, but in the three years before that he didn’t even attempt 30 combined passes.
Simpson is a project, there’s no way around that. That’s why it’s not overly cautious to expect fairly little from him in the preseason. Realistically, this is not a passer who you should expect incredible things from right off the rip. Is it possible? Sure, anything is. Does history indicate it’s likely? Far from it.
QBs with 15 or fewer college starts who went 1st round over the last decade. It's not a disqualifier, but still tough. Anthony Richardson Mitchell Trubisky Dwayne Haskins https://t.co/Qb8ZYvkSbT
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) January 7, 2026
Past data is not a guaranteed indicator of future outcomes. But there’s a reason why Bill Parcells was so adamant about drafting experienced college quarterbacks in his now famous set of rules . The list above from Dane Brugler isn’t especially encouraging, either.
Anthony Richardson was not only extremely inexperienced coming into the draft, he also frankly wasn’t anything special (production-wise) in college. Mitchell Trubisky was an older yet one-year-wonder quarterback. Dwayne Haskins was fairly young and also a one-year wonder.
Compare that to some of the other notable first-round projects in recent years. Josh Allen is now one of the best quarterbacks of this era but he was a heavily scrutinized prospect coming out of Wyoming, though he started 26 games over three years for the Cowboys (and had another six during his JUCO season). Jordan Love was nowhere near NFL-ready when the Packers picked him in 2020, but he was also a full-time starter for multiple seasons at Utah State.
Clearly, every case for every somewhat comparable situation is unique. But that’s why it’s too early to expect too much from Simpson. And again, he doesn’t need to be great. The reigning MVP is still on this team and even if he’s not “best player in the NFL” good in 2026, it’s more than fair to assume he’ll still be good enough to lead the Rams to Super Bowl contention.
Don’t get it twisted: If Ty Simpson looks incredible in the preseason, everyone should be fired up beyond belief at what could be on the horizon when the Stafford succession plan goes into effect. But for a guy who just desperately needs reps and for whom the best-case scenario includes him riding the pine for multiple seasons, it’s too early to expect a lot out of him. Operate cleanly within the confines off the offense, stay healthy, don’t embarrass yourself. Those are the realistic goals this preseason for Simpson.
That’s not exciting. It’s very much an “eat your vegetables” kind of approach. But it’s also likely a healthier approach than trying to put the weight of the world on the shoulders of a rookie project.
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