Ty Simpson has one of the most fascinating challenges in the NFL heading into training camp. The rookie quarterback is trying to learn Sean McVay’s offense and win the backup job with the Los Angeles Rams, and it is going to be a fascinating summer to watch.
McVay’s system is famously complex. The Rams’ head coach runs one of the most creative offenses in the league, and every quarterback who has come through Los Angeles has had to spend significant time in the classroom before they can operate at speed. Even Matthew Stafford, who arrived as a proven starter, needed time to learn McVay’s terminology and pre-snap adjustments.
Simpson is stepping into that world as a rookie who was drafted specifically to develop into the eventual heir apparent. Stafford is not getting any younger, and the Rams have been quietly planning for a post-Stafford era for a couple of years now. Simpson represents their bet on the future.
The Alabama product has all the physical tools you want in a quarterback. He has a strong arm, good mobility, and he showed enough poise in college to make evaluators believe he could handle the mental side of the game at the next level. Whether that translates against NFL defenses is a whole different question.
Training camp for veterans opens July 24, and Simpson will be under the microscope from day one. Every rep, every read, every decision he makes is going to be evaluated by a coaching staff that has to figure out how much responsibility to give him this season. If he shows up prepared and picks things up quickly, he could win the backup job outright. If he struggles, the Rams will look at veteran options to bridge the gap.
The competition for the backup spot is worth mentioning. The Rams have a couple of veteran options in camp who know the system and could provide immediate stability. Simpson is going to have to earn every snap, and the coaching staff is not going to hand him anything just because he was a draft pick.
What makes this situation interesting from the outside is what happens if Stafford gets hurt. Stafford is 38 years old and has dealt with various injuries over the past few seasons. If he misses time in 2026, the backup quarterback becomes the most important player on the roster. The Rams have too much talent around Stafford to punt on a season, and they need to feel confident that whoever is behind him can keep the offense running.
The Rams’ offense is built on precision. The wide receivers run specific routes at specific depths. The offensive line has specific blocking assignments based on defensive alignments. Every play has a rhythm and timing element that Simpson has to internalize completely before McVay is going to trust him with a real game.
The good news for Simpson is that he is walking into an ideal development environment. McVay is one of the best coaches in the league at developing young quarterbacks, and the Rams have a talented supporting cast around him. If Simpson can absorb the system, he has every tool he needs to succeed.
The bad news is that expectations are always high in Los Angeles. The Rams are still trying to compete for playoff spots, and there is not a lot of patience for rookie quarterbacks who need a full year to catch up mentally. Simpson has to be ready fast if he wants to earn real playing time in his first season.
NFL training camps are always more interesting than the regular season would suggest. The battles for backup jobs, the position competitions, the injury situations that reshape rosters. Simpson’s situation checks all those boxes, and it is going to be one of the storylines Rams fans watch closely all summer.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
