After a stellar 2025 NFL season, in which the Los Angeles Rams came one win short of making it to the Super Bowl, reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford and company got back to work this week with training camp getting underway.
Along with the Rams expected to be a powerhouse in the NFC once again during the 2026 campaign, the team has some new faces on the squad, like superstar defensive end Myles Garrett and rookie quarterback Ty Simpson.
Sean McVay Praises Rookie Ty Simpson
GettyTy Simpson #15 of the Los Angeles Rams
One of the most surprising moves for the Rams during the offseason was trading up in the 2026 NFL Draft to bring in Simpson, who might be Stafford’s eventual successor.
With the addition of Simpson being so eye-opening, the rookie quarterback is being put under the microscope right away, with head coach Sean McVay already fielding questions about the 23-year-old after the first day of training camp.
“He’s doing a great job,” McVay said of Simpson, via the Rams’ YouTube page. “I think the best thing is I think some of the leadership from our peers with Matthew [Stafford] pouring into that room with Ty, with Stetson [Bennett IV], with Matthew [Caldwell], that’s a big deal. And Dave Ragone does a great job leading that room, having played the position, having the capacity and the understanding of what it looks like to do it at a high level consistently day after day. And so I think Ty’s in a great situation to be around some great people to learn from.”
McVay let it be known that Simpson got some second-team reps during the first day of camp, but it was Stetson Bennett IV who got the bulk of those reps after Stafford.
Obviously, that points to Bennett being Stafford’s backup moving forward, but it’s early in camp, and McVay doesn’t want to “pigeonhole” himself into keeping that way moving forward.
“I would say this. I don’t want to pigeonhole myself into a one-size-fits-all approach,” McVay said. “Stetson got the majority of those reps with the second group today, but Ty came in and did a nice job with the one set that he did have. We’ll just kind of continue to evaluate, but being able to figure out what that looks like is important. I think both those guys have done a nice job, and obviously, having No. 9 out there, he looked pretty damn sharp, so it was good to have him.”
With so much time between now and Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season, Simpson could work his way up the depth chart, but McVay is making it clear that the rookie is going to have to earn his place behind the one-time NFL MVP, which is without a doubt the smart approach.
Matthew Stafford Reflects on First Rams Practice
GettyMatthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams
With the first day of training camp officially in the books, Stafford spoke to the media and was asked about setting the tone, as he looked sharp connecting with star wide receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.
“I think training camp is like a microcosm of a season in the fact that there’s going to be ebbs and flows, right? There’s going to be games in the season that maybe we don’t play as well as we can on offense, and our defense carries us a little bit, and we go, ‘Hey man, we still found a way to win that football game.’ And then there’s going to be situations that are the inverse, right? Where our offense might play a little bit better, and they’re going up against a tough offense on the other side,” Stafford said. “Whatever it is, that’s training camp, too, right? We’re going to have really good days out here. We’re going to have explosive plays and fun things for people to see.”
The Rams will head into the 2026 season ready to bounce back with a vengeance, as they try to dethrone the defending Super Bowl champion and division rival Seattle Seahawks, who ended their 2025 campaign in the NFC Championship Game.
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