I Was Impressed With Ty Simpson & Fernando Mendoza! | The Stinkin' Truth… https://t.co/hffZ0Zkb5s via @YouTube

— Mark Schlereth (@markschlereth) August 18, 2026

He does the Rams starting at about 1:02 in

..

.@RamsNFL @ty_simpson06 very efficient; very accurate…made it look easy. Strong debut. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/B7s3q3cY8H

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) August 16, 2026

wv wrote:

My only complaint about Ty at this point is that, overall, he is not as good a WR as Makai Lemon

Ah, so, you are the board Lemonite.

Every board has one.

All I can tell you is, if you don’t have a Lemon, you don’t need no Lemon aid.

wv wrote:

Some guy on the internet said, of the 47 completions in that game, only 3 were over 20 yards.

w
v

That’s true but it’s a little bit misleading.

During the game people noticed that for most of his time in there, basically Simpson was making safe, short throws. That included throwing too short on a key 3rd down (McVay even commented on that play after the game, citing it as an error to throw short in that situation).

In the final drive they did basically a 2 minute offense, with increased tempo and taking longer shots. There was only 1 play action. It was all passing, with Simpson in shotgun for all but 2 plays. In other words, they turned him loose on that drive. The drive went 87 yards for a TD in 8 plays. On that drive Simpson was 6 of 8 with 4 passes of 13+ yards (including a 22 and a 23). Though one of those was a short pass + RAC, but that wasn’t a 20 yarder.

Here’s the full play-by-play for that drive:

5-yd Penalty
9:56 – 4th
T.Simpson pass incomplete short right to M.Redman.PENALTY on KC-J.Canady, Defensive Holding, 5 yards, enforced at LA 13 – No Play.
1st & 10 at LAR 13

Incompletion
9:50 – 4th
(Shotgun) T.Simpson pass incomplete short right to C.Daniels.
1st & 10 at LAR 18

22-yd Pass
9:46 – 4th
(Shotgun) T.Simpson pass deep left to M.Redman to LA 40 for 22 yards (J.Canady).
2nd & 10 at LAR 18

13-yd Pass
9:23 – 4th
(Shotgun) T.Simpson pass short right to D.Connors pushed ob at KC 47 for 13 yards (K.Arnold).
1st & 10 at LAR 40

23-yd Pass
8:45 – 4th
T.Simpson pass deep right to B.Presley to KC 24 for 23 yards (K.Knowles).
1st & 10 at KC 47

16-yd Pass
8:02 – 4th
(Shotgun) T.Simpson pass short middle to C.Daniels to KC 8 for 16 yards (K.Arnold).
1st & 10 at KC 24

6-yd Pass
7:23 – 4th
T.Simpson pass short left to B.Presley to KC 2 for 6 yards (W.Bissainthe; D.Singleton).

Incompletion
6:40 – 4th
(Shotgun) T.Simpson pass incomplete short left to C.Daniels.
2nd & Goal at KC 2

2-yd Touchdown Pass
6:32 – 4th
(Shotgun) T.Simpson pass short left to D.Connors for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN

zn wrote:

Zooey wrote:

he looked pretty good, and showed more zip on the ball than I expected.

Quick release. And, quick processing.

It’s like he’s a much more mobile version of Bulger, who also had a quick release, but also with Warner’s ability to process things fast.

I think Simpson surprised a lot of people. But it doesn’t mean he’s “there” yet obviously.

I think people were surprised by the combination of poise, mobility, and (as Zooey said) the zip on the ball.

Those were the traits he showed at Alabama. They translate to the pros. Or appear to so far.

Let’s look at the very first preseason games for Rams starters in the past.

Simpson, 2026, v. Kansas City: 21-25-190-2-0

Warner, 1999 v. Chicago: 9-17-139-0-0
Bulger, 2001 v. Buffalo: 10-15-112-0-0
Stafford, 2009 Lions v. Atlanta: 7-14-114-1-1
Bradford, 2010, v. Cleveland: 6-14-24-0-0
Goff, 2016, v. Dallas: 4-9-38-0-1

Zooey wrote:

he looked pretty good, and showed more zip on the ball than I expected.

Quick release. And, quick processing.

It’s like he’s a much more mobile version of Bulger, who also had a quick release, but also with Warner’s ability to process things fast.

from Rams takeaways from preseason opener: Ty Simpson looks legit, OL goes down

Vincent Bonsignore

https://nypost.com/2026/08/15/sports/rams-takeaways-from-preseason-opener-ty-simpson-looks-legit/

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.

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.

…

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.

Rookie QB Ty Simpson comfortably ran Rams’ offense in preseason win vs. Chiefs

Nate Atkins

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7516023/2026/08/15/ty-simpson-rams-rookies-preseason-chiefs/

Four months after the Los Angeles Rams made the bold decision to draft Ty Simpson with the No. 13 pick, the time finally came to see the franchise’s quarterback of the future in a real game setting.

Simpson’s run became the headliner in the Rams’ 20-12 preseason victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. He took all but two series of the work behind center, leaving just a brief start for Stetson Bennett. And Simpson ran a smooth operation by finishing 21-of-25 for 190 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 125.0 rating.

It was clear the Rams wanted to use this preseason opener to get Simpson comfortable in an NFL-style offense. This was a reduced version called by new offensive coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase, with minimal opponent-specific game planning while facing the Chiefs’ backups.

But this was his first opportunity to play against a live pass rush, which tested one of the traits that drew Los Angeles to Simpson. The mobility was on display on many run-pass option and play-action rollout concepts designed around the intent to throw.

What was most encouraging about Simpson was how comfortable he looked moving to either his left or right. To most effectively fit the Sean McVay playbook whenever it is his time to start, Simpson will need to keep both sides of the field open and prevent defenses from dictating or eliminating the concepts they want to run.

The volume was another big shift, too, as Simpson has had a strikingly low number of reps in training camp despite the unsettled nature of the Rams’ backup quarterback position after Jimmy Garoppolo’s departure. My sense is they’ve been easing him in, knowing the complexity of McVay’s system and how difficult it has proven to be for any rookie to get on the field early on, let alone a quarterback.

But perhaps no position relies more on the presence of live reps to develop than a quarterback does, so giving Simpson 25 attempts was a start at doing that for him — intentionally after weeks of mostly sitting and watching.

Simpson looked operational for the most part. He bobbled the first dropback snap of the game, but it was a high snap, and he recovered before dropping it and then fired the ball quickly out of bounds. That was a glimpse at pushing through a message the Rams have given him: Don’t try to be the hero.

Simpson did bobble another handoff to running back Jordan Waters near the red zone, which contributed to Waters running into the backs of some of his linemen.

But beyond that, it was hard to find any glaring mistakes in Simpson’s play. He was efficient in his footwork on rollouts and scrambles, and timely in his throws, which almost all came off predetermined reads. The Rams clearly wanted to get him into a rhythm as a passer on the move, and it worked, finishing with an 84 percent completion rate.

The Rams kept the training wheels on him for a majority of the start, with almost every throw going within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. Simpson did get the chance to rip a few passes to the intermediate levels in the fourth quarter, which led to hitting sixth-round rookie receiver CJ Daniels for a 16-yard pass on a deeper dig concept.

Simpson didn’t get to flash anything that went beyond a starter-kit kind of game plan for a rookie quarterback. But they often say in this league that you can’t tell who can play in the NFL in the preseason, only who can’t. Simpson didn’t look like a guy who can’t play, and that was the goal.

As for Bennett, he saw just two series, which included a three-and-out to start. He finished 4-of-6 for 38 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions and an 84.0 rating.

It’s hard to know what to make of this battle for the No. 2 quarterback job. It’s possible the Rams have seen enough from Bennett already, or that Simpson could emerge from his play in the preseason. It still feels rather unsettled and unproven.

Max Klare impresses, Keagen Trost suffers injury

The Rams naturally spread the ball around to plenty of different targets, but the most impressive of them was a second-round rookie who also hadn’t gotten a ton of practice reps until this game.

Klare saw eight targets on Saturday and caught all but one of them. The only one he didn’t was an end-zone fade route that Bennett underthrew, and Klare did a nice job positioning himself and fighting for the ball to keep it from becoming an interception. He caught everything else, which was a mix of screens and flare routes, work in the short range that let him catch and run with the ball. He finished with seven receptions for 37 yards.

It’s going to be hard for Klare to see much action this season with how deep the Rams’ tight end room is, even with a greater shift to three-tight end sets. Los Angeles likes to draft this position a year early, since the transition, mentally and physically, at this position and in this offense is so extreme. I’d view Klare as a backup to Terrance Ferguson’s flex role, but perhaps he could see a few designs like these if he’s active on game days.

One disappointing development for the rookie class came when Trost, the Rams’ third-round pick, had to leave in the first quarter with a hamstring injury. Trost got the start at right tackle, where the Rams are training him to become Warren McClendon Jr.’s backup, with David Quessenberry focused on backing up Alaric Jackson on the left side.

It’s another potential hit to the Rams’ offensive line depth, with top backup guard Justin Dedich still having yet to suit up in camp after suffering a cut on his hand in early July.

Desjuan Johnson, Wesley Bailey flash

The Rams are so deep along the defensive line after the blockbuster trade for Myles Garrett that it’s easy to overlook some talented bodies they have fighting for back-end roster spots. But this game became a showcase for them. Edge rushers are among the better positions to evaluate in these vanilla settings because it’s still a matchup game for them, going one-on-one with opposing tackles, and Johnson and Bailey won in different ways that were impressive.

Johnson played on the edge in three-man fronts, a shift from how his career started as the final pick in the 2023 draft. He scored a sack when he burst off the line, slipped inside and around the tackle, and maintained good rush integrity to chase Garrett Nussmeier into raising the white flag.

Johnson has been working hard to slim down to try to add more versatility for a chance to crack this deep rotation. One of those workouts came early last week at the Rams’ facility with Aaron Donald, who continues to evaluate whether or not to return. Along with Braden Fiske, they ran ladder and cone drills to fine-tune their first-step explosion and side-to-side movement.

“Every workout that I have with him is a blessing and an opportunity to reach further heights,” said Johnson, who has five sacks in three seasons with the Rams. “Hard work pays off. Work in the dark and all of your hard work will come to light. Work when nobody sees you. Work when it’s hard. … Work while you can, because it’s not forever.”

Bailey continued to flash the body he’s shown in camp that looks too athletic to have gone undrafted out of Louisville this year. On one play, he held a stack position to force the quarterback to give up the ball to the running back up the middle on a zone read and dove forward to make the stop himself. He brought enough speed to the edges that he forced a false start later, as the backup tackles on the Chiefs saw a challenge in preparing for the attack.

…

TY SIMPSON HIGHLIGHTS 🤩🤩🤩 pic.twitter.com/ND4OoTSDxN

— Rams Tapes 🇵🇷 (@RamsTapes) August 15, 2026

…

zn wrote:

Daniels made a catch that basically showed he could be everything we’ve been saying he is.

Ty zips one to CJ!

📺 @CBSLosAngeles | 📲 https://t.co/R5m5kJYWYi pic.twitter.com/H9uY1ITr2I

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 15, 2026

Sarah Barshop@sarahbarshop
Rams rookie Keagen Trost, who started this preseason game at right tackle, has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Nate Atkins@NateAtkins_
Today will be the first time we’ll get to see Stetson Bennett and Ty Simpson really battle it out for the Rams’ No. 2 QB job.

The Rams value these reps against a live pass rush.

RAMZILLA@elitster
OL Trenches – Trost, Limmer, McMahon, Arcuri, Murray, Bowles, Henderson… Quessenberry, Dedich. One or more of these guys will have to step up and play great ball this season

Rams Suffer Major Blow From California Court as NFL In-House Arbitration Crumbles

https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/rams_suffer_major_blow_from_california_court_as_nfl_in_house_arbitration_crumbles/s1_17730_44172450

Whenever a dispute arises involving an NFL team or the league, the NFL’s Constitution says the Commissioner has broad power to arbitrate certain disputes. Instead of going directly to a normal court, the league can argue that the dispute belongs in its internal arbitration process. Over the past few years, however, the league has been losing control in its in-house arbitration procedure.

The latest case involving the Los Angeles Rams and the team’s former employee Brittany Todd only reinforced it. Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, found that an arbitration clause used by the Rams was ‘unconscionable and, in turn, unenforceable.’ The development gained momentum after Todd filed a lawsuit against the Rams, alleging that she was terminated on March 10, 2026.

According to Florio, he wrote:

“She claims that her March 10, 2026 termination happened after she complained that her immediate supervisors were consuming alcohol during work hours ‘to the point of extreme intoxication,’ that they coerced subordinate employees to consume alcohol, that they berated employees ‘to an abusive level’ after becoming intoxicated, and that they berated employees for their religious views.”

As that went down, the Rams didn’t want the case to go through the normal court system. Instead, the team filed a motion to compel arbitration. The court, however, rejected that motion. For broader context, the Rams’ arbitration agreement allowed the NFL commissioner or someone chosen by the commissioner to have the exclusive power to resolve the dispute.

The court, meanwhile, found the agreement unconscionable because it relied on an arbitrator employed by the NFL, an organization that represents all 32 member teams, including the Rams.

“We are happy that our client will be able to have her day in court,” Todd’s lawyer Mike Caspino said in a statement. “We are also happy that all of the employees of the 49ers, Chargers and Rams will no longer be subjected to the NFL’s biased arbitration system.”

Back in October 2021, Jon Gruden resigned as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders after emails containing offensive language became public. The emails, written between 2011 and 2018 while Gruden worked for ESPN, surfaced during the NFL’s investigation into workplace misconduct within the Washington Football Team organization. Gruden and the Raiders later reached a confidential agreement concerning his contract, but the matter subsequently moved into court.

In November 2021, Gruden sued the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell, alleging that the league selectively leaked the emails and caused damage to his reputation and employment. His lawsuit included claims of interference with his Raiders contract, negligence, and civil conspiracy. The NFL has denied the allegations, setting up a dispute over where the claims should be resolved.

The NFL sought to send the case to its internal arbitration process, which grants the commissioner broad authority in certain disputes. Because Goodell was also named as a defendant, Gruden’s case raised questions about whether that process could serve as the appropriate forum for the litigation.

Now, Brian Flores also challenged the NFL’s effort to move his employment-discrimination claims into the league’s internal arbitration process. In August 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld a lower-court ruling that denied arbitration for Flores’ claims against the NFL, the New York Giants, Denver Broncos and Houston Texans. The court found that the commissioner-controlled framework did not provide the type of independent arbitration process required under federal law.

The NFL later asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review that decision. On May 26, 2026, the Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal, leaving the Second Circuit’s ruling in place. The Court did not issue a decision on the merits of the NFL’s arbitration system, but Flores’ relevant claims against the NFL and the three teams remained in federal court.

In July, U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni denied another NFL request to reconsider arbitration in the Flores case. That ruling kept the litigation on track for court proceedings.

Todd’s case differed from the Gruden and Flores matters because she sued the Rams rather than the NFL. The Los Angeles court nevertheless denied the Rams’ motion to compel arbitration, citing the NFL’s role in selecting or providing the arbitrator.

The ruling applies to Todd’s dispute with the Rams. It follows court decisions in the Gruden and Flores cases that also declined to require the plaintiffs to use the NFL’s commissioner-centered arbitration process.

For now, the next steps in Todd’s case, including whether the Rams will seek further review of the ruling, remain to be seen.