Sean McVay stays mum on Rams backup QB, but signs point to Stetson Bennett

Sean McVay says he hasn’t picked Matthew Stafford’s backup quarterback yet.

Maybe he hasn’t. But the breadcrumbs are beginning to look a lot like a trail leading directly to Stetson Bennett IV.

McVay remained deliberately noncommittal Monday when asked whether Bennett or rookie Ty Simpson will open the regular season as Stafford’s understudy when the Los Angeles Rams face the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia on Sept. 10.

“No, absolutely not,” McVay said when asked if a decision had been made or communicated to either quarterback. “We haven’t talked about that or decided that yet. We can talk about it, but we haven’t decided that yet.”

Officially, then, the competition continues.

Unofficially? Watch what McVay does, not necessarily what he says.

Bennett has started both preseason games. He received nine of the Rams’ 15 second-team practice reps Monday, compared with six for Simpson. And when McVay was asked whether Bennett would play Thursday against the Chargers, he said he hadn’t decided.

When the question turned to Simpson, there was no hesitation.

“Oh yeah, Ty’s definitely going to play,” McVay said.

That doesn’t sound like a depth chart announcement, but it certainly sounds like a clue.

McVay traditionally treats quarterbacks he expects to need during the regular season like expensive glassware in August. Stafford rarely sees preseason action and Jimmy Garoppolo, the Rams’ backup the past two seasons, was similarly protected.

This summer is different because Garoppolo is gone and the Rams have a legitimate competition between Bennett, entering his fourth NFL season, and Simpson, the No. 13 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft.

Simpson made the race interesting with an impressive preseason opener against Kansas City, completing 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns.

Then Bennett responded with an impressive first half in the team’s second preseason game against the Saints on Saturday.

The two-time CFP National Champion with Georgia completed 19 of 31 passes for 181 yards and rushed for two touchdowns while directing the first half of Saturday’s 34-0 demolition of the Saints. His best throw came on fourth down with pressure collapsing around him, when Bennett delivered an off-balance 16-yard completion to Tyler Scott while two pass rushers converged.

“I was like, ‘Oh my god,’” Rams running back Jarquez Hunter said about the play.

McVay was impressed, too, particularly with Bennett’s ability to deliver throws with defenders around his feet. Center Coleman Shelton has also praised Bennett’s command and conviction after watching him operate with the first-team offense during Stafford’s rest days.

None of this means Simpson has disappointed. Quite the opposite. The rookie has given the Rams plenty to like and will get another opportunity Thursday. McVay also wants to find snaps for undrafted rookie Matthew Caldwell.

But the Rams aren’t merely evaluating which quarterback has the brighter future. They’re deciding who they trust if Stafford’s helmet comes off in Australia and a game that counts suddenly hangs in the balance.

McVay may be playing coy with his answer, but his actions say something else.

And right now, they’re saying it’s Bennett.

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