Ty Simpson knows where he stands in the pecking order. He also knows where he wants to go.
The Los Angeles Rams rookie quarterback walked off the field at SoFi Stadium on Thursday night having delivered perhaps his best — and final — argument yet that the distance between the two is shrinking.
Simpson completed 18 of 23 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown in just the first half of the Rams’ 20-18 victory over the LA Chargers, putting the finishing touches on an undefeated preseason and an impressive NFL audition for the No. 13 overall pick out of Alabama.
“I thought Ty did a great job tonight,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “It’s never-ending, constant evolution and improvement, constant growth.”
Simpson finished his three preseason appearances 47-of-60 passing for 382 yards, three touchdowns and, perhaps most importantly for a rookie quarterback learning McVay’s offense, zero interceptions.
His best moment Thursday came on an 11-yard touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone. With the pocket breaking down, Simpson escaped trouble by spinning to his left. He kept his eyes downfield and delivered the kind of throw to the corner of the end zone that offered a glimpse of why Los Angeles invested such valuable draft capital in him.
And he did it against the Chargers’ starters.
Through his first two preseason games, Simpson played most of the second half after starter Stetson Bennett IV got in his action. That meant he played mostly against the Chiefs and Saints second and third stringers.
But on Thursday night, he started for the Rams with McVay opting to leave Bennett on the bench and in bubble wrap for the team’s opening game of the season in two weeks in Melbourne, Australia.
Chargers’ head coach Jim Harbaugh takes a different approach to the preseason than his counterpart McVay does. Harbaugh likes to play his starters and get them game reps, at least for a few drives. That allowed Simpson to face the closest thing he could to NFL action in the first quarter.
“I knew their starters were going to play at least the first series. My dad told me that,” said Simpson of facing the Chargers tough defense in the first quarter. “It was definitely faster, for sure. It was my first time going against real guys in a real game. It felt fast. You have to make quick decisions and know where your outlets are.”
Simpson played well against the Chargers first-string defense, but it probably won’t change the immediate hierarchy.
Matthew Stafford is the reigning NFL MVP and unquestioned starter, while Stetson Bennett IV appears positioned to enter the regular season as his backup. Simpson is expected to travel to Melbourne as the Rams’ third quarterback when Los Angeles opens the season against the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 10.
Simpson isn’t concerned with the label.
“I don’t really ask him that,” Simpson said when asked whether McVay had told him who would be Stafford’s backup. “I kind of just do what I’m told.”
That mentality may matter more than anything Simpson did during an undefeated preseason.
He arrived in Los Angeles as a first-round pick who barely played early in his college career. He leaves August looking increasingly comfortable in an NFL offense, armed with months of lessons from Stafford, Bennett and McVay with more to follow.
“There are no pity parties,” Simpson said. “You’ve got to be where your feet are.”
For now, Simpson’s feet are third on the depth chart.
But his eyes are clearly pointed higher.
“Pressure makes diamonds or busts pipes,” Simpson said. “I’ve just got to keep going.”
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