KANSAS CITY – With arguably the deepest and most talented roster in the NFL, it’s no surprise the Rams enter the season as the prohibitive Super Bowl favorites.
There is, however, one question no one around the Rams wants to ask, much less contemplate:
What happens if Matthew Stafford goes down?
That uncomfortable scenario, and the Rams’ ability to survive it, provided an unavoidable subplot to Saturday’s 20-12 preseason win over the Chiefs.
With Stafford safely tucked away in Sean McVay’s customary preseason bubble wrap, the Rams got an extended look at the two quarterbacks who would be asked to keep their Super Bowl hopes afloat if disaster strikes: fourth-year prospect Stetson Bennett and rookie Ty Simpson.
Rams QB2 battle gets closer
First, relax. Stafford is fine.
For obvious reasons, the reigning NFL MVP is strictly off-limits during the preseason.
Bennett started Saturday and guided the Rams to a field goal during his two-series stint. Simpson took over with one play remaining in the first quarter and played all the way into the fourth quarter.
Neither offered indisputable evidence that the Rams could simply hand over the keys and keep humming if Stafford were lost for an extended period.
Then again, expecting either to do that would be wildly unfair.
Bennett, now in his fourth NFL season, has yet to suit up for a regular-season game, let alone throw a pass in one. He finished 4 of 6 for 38 yards.
Simpson? He’s three weeks into his first NFL training camp, and Saturday represented his first taste of NFL game action. No one should expect him to seamlessly step in for Stafford as a rookie. But for one afternoon, anyway, Simpson provided a tantalizing glimpse of why the Rams believe he can be their quarterback of the future.
Simpson was clearly more impressive of the two, but also the beneficiary of more playing time with the Chiefs digging much deeper into their depth chart during his stint.
Nevertheless, he looked solid while throwing for 190 yards on 21 of 25 passes and got better as the game went on. Never more so than when he guided the Rams’ seven-play, 87-yard touchdown drive capped off by a two-yard touchdown throw to Dean Connors on third down to put the Rams up 20-9.
On the drive, Simpson completed passes for 23, 22 and 13 yards.
He also guided the Rams on a second-quarter field goal drive and a short fourth-quarter touchdown drive that ended with his first NFL touchdown throw on a screen pass to Connors covering nine yards to put the Rams up 13-7.
Simpson was drafted to be the eventual heir apparent to Stafford. For now, the three years Bennett has played in the Rams system give him a leg up on the backup job.
However, if Simpson continues to play like he did Saturday, he might just make a run at QB2.
There isn’t a team in football that can seamlessly replace a franchise quarterback, especially one playing at Stafford’s level. The drop from QB1 to QB2 is steep almost everywhere.
But there are degrees to that pain.
And for a Rams team constructed to win a Super Bowl right now, figuring out whether Bennett or Simpson can at least keep the train on the tracks if Stafford misses time is one of the most important questions they need answered this preseason.
Rookie lineman goes down
It didn’t take long for the Rams to suffer what could potentially be an impactful injury Saturday.
Rookie right tackle Keagen Trost, a third-round pick out of Missouri and one of the early standouts of training camp, was off to a solid start before exiting with a hamstring injury.
There was no immediate word on the severity of the injury, but the Rams quickly ruled Trost out for the remainder of the game.
That makes his status worth monitoring.
Trost has been steadily carving out an important role as a rookie, providing the Rams with valuable depth at both tackle spots while showing enough during training camp to suggest a starting job could eventually be in his future.
For an offensive line whose success depends not only on the health of its starters but also on having dependable options behind them, Trost’s emergence has been an encouraging development. Saturday was another opportunity for him to build on that momentum with extended game reps before the hamstring injury cut his night short.
Trost has also made an early impression on Rams coach Sean McVay.
“It doesn’t seem too big for him. He seems real steady, secure to be able to take coaching. You see the agility and the flexibility to be able to play on the right and left sides of the line,” McVay said recently. “You’re either sinking or swimming and he’s doing a good job keeping his head above water. He’s got a lot of great guys to learn from in that room.”
That versatility is a big reason Trost has positioned himself to have a meaningful role this season. Now the Rams will wait to find out whether Saturday’s injury amounts to a brief interruption in an impressive rookie summer or something that sidelines him for a more significant stretch.
Impressive debut for rookie tight end
The Rams got an early glimpse Saturday of a connection they hope will become a fixture of their offense for years to come.
Simpson and fellow rookie Max Klare hooked up seven times against the Chiefs, offering a small preview of what the Rams envisioned when they invested premium draft capital in both players.
The Rams selected Klare in the second round out of Ohio State, a decision that — much like drafting Simpson 13th overall — initially raised a few eyebrows.
Not because Klare wasn’t worthy of the pick. He was widely regarded as one of the top tight ends in the draft and projects as a future impact starter.
It was the position that made the selection curious.
The Rams already entered the offseason loaded at tight end, making Klare feel more like a luxury than an immediate need.
But NFL depth charts have a funny way of changing in a hurry. Between injuries, free agency and the salary cap, today’s position of strength can become tomorrow’s glaring weakness.
That’s why smart teams draft ahead of need rather than wait for it to become one.
Klare may essentially redshirt this season, learning behind a crowded group while developing physically and within McVay’s offense. But Saturday offered a glimpse of why the Rams were willing to think beyond 2026 when they drafted him.
Klare kept getting open. Simpson kept finding him.
Seven times in all.
For one preseason afternoon, the Rams got a sneak preview of a quarterback-tight end combination they hope they’ll be watching long after the current depth chart looks completely different.
