Georgia fans have taken some joy in the fact that four-year pro Stetson Bennett has remained ahead of former Alabama QB Ty Simpson on the depth chart in Los Angeles despite Simpson being taken with the 13th pick in the draft back in April.
That ignores the obvious reality of Simpson being a rookie still getting his feet wet and the Rams not necessarily wanting to bet their season on a first-year QB if Matthew Stafford went down. But the first preseason game on Saturday afternoon may have changed that.
Bennett started, but Simpson shined. Bennett was pulled after the first two possessions of the game, and Simpson took over from there. The former Crimson Tide star went 21-of-25 for 190 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Rams to a 20-12 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Simpson's performance was eye-opening. He's not going to be the Rams' starter with the reigning NFL MVP entrenched, but his performance should be enough to surge ahead of Bennett for the backup job.
Ty Simpson's brilliant NFL debut could send Stetson Bennett packing in LA
Bennett has done a good job of delaying the inevitable. He was never going to be an NFL starting QB. All roads lead to an Athens car dealership/restaurant/etc. He's a two-time national title winner with Georgia; he'll always have a job waiting for him back there.
But there are levels to this football stuff, and it was clear after one game that Simpson is already at a level that Bennett will never reach.
The Rams didn't draft Simpson to be the team's third-string QB. They just needed to wait and make sure he was ready to be the backup before they sent Bennett packing. They should have seen enough after the first preseason game.
Simpson had full command of the offense. He took every available yard the defense gave. Sean McVay did a good job with some early simple pass concepts that allowed Simpson to get into a rhythm, and then he started opening things up in the second half, and Simpson began throwing strikes down the field.
His ability to process the game was on full display. His cerebralness has always been his best quality. It's what stood out the most last season in Tuscaloosa. It's what stood out the most in his preseason debut, too, as he ran through his progressions, made the right reads, and delivered the football on time.
The Rams have two more preseason games to go, and getting Simpson the most reps they can before the start of the regular season is the obvious move for McVay and his staff. Los Angeles will be back on Saturday to face the New Orleans Saints, and they'll have a big decision to make.
Do they keep wasting time with a player like Bennett who is just never going to get there, or do they give Simpson all the reps as the obvious future face of the franchise?
Decisions, decisions.
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