It's wise not to trust the NFL preseason but, holy moly, Rams QB Ty Simpson looks like a stud

Before rookie Ty Simpson's NFL debut for the Los Angeles Rams connected Saturday, his begetter texted him immoderate sage advice.

"My dada conscionable talked to maine similar I was 4 years aged again," Simpson said of the connection from his begetter Jason "He told maine to drawback each snap, marque the casual ones easy, spell bash what you love, and I emotion you."

Simpson is simply a bully lad due to the fact that helium did precisely arsenic instructed. He made his archetypal pro game, against the Kansas City Chiefs nary less, look easy.

RAIDERS ROOKIE FERNANDO MENDOZA THANKS GOD FOR AN NFL DEBUT THAT COMPARES FAVORABLY TO 'MR BRADY'

Los Angeles Rams backmost Ty Simpson signals astatine the enactment against the Kansas City Chiefs during the archetypal fractional of a preseason crippled astatine Arrowhead Stadium successful Kansas City, Mo., connected Aug. 15, 2026. (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Simpson completed 21-of-25 passes for 190 yards successful 3 quarters of enactment aft Stetson Bennett started and played the archetypal quarter.

Simpson threw 2 touchdown passes without an interception and that benignant of ratio earned him a whopping 125.0 passer rating.

"It was a truly bully time for him," Coach Sean McVay crowed. "I conscionable felt similar helium was successful bully bid and it was chill to spot a bully grin connected his face."

Those facts and absorption beg context. So, let's analyse ...

Los Angeles Rams caput manager Sean McVay walks connected the tract astatine Lumen Field aft the 2026 NFC Championship Game against the Seattle Seahawks successful Seattle, Washington, connected Jan. 25, 2026. (Kevin Ng/Imagn Images)

The aged adage among NFL scouts, coaches and astute scribes is that the preseason does not contiguous the truth. It lies. The NFL's August stars could beryllium waiting tables successful October.

And portion that won't afloat use to Simpson due to the fact that helium volition beryllium connected the Rams' roster for a agelong time, it suggests a definite magnitude of temperance present is wise. So, here's that indispensable temperance:

Holy moly, Simpson looked similar a stud!

Here's immoderate much temperance: The draught critics were wrong.

You retrieve those draught critics, right? Bucky Brooks astatine the NFL Network, the draught scouts astatine ESPN, practically everybody but Dan Orlovsky.

ESPN Broadcaster Dan Orlovsky speaks earlier the crippled betwixt the Baltimore Ravens and the Detroit Lions astatine M&T Bank Stadium connected Sept. 22, 2025 successful Baltimore, Maryland. (G Fiume/Getty Images)

They said Simpson's limb is not special. They said his heavy shot accuracy is poor. They said helium didn't grip unit precise well, peculiarly during a precocious play regression astatine the University of Alabama.

All of that from the draught gurus made Simpson a polarizing fig connected draught day.

And the Rams, taking each that into consideration, ignored it. They drafted Simpson successful the archetypal circular with the anticipation that immoderate time erstwhile 38-year-old Matthew Stafford retires, Simpson could beryllium the feline to instrumentality over.

REIGNING MVP MATTHEW STAFFORD LOCKS IN EXTENSION WITH RAMS WORTH UP TO $60M WITH INCENTIVES

So far, the Rams look overmuch smarter than the TV draught scouts and pundits not named Orlovsky.

That does not, of course, mean Simpson has arrived. It doesn't mean he's already pushing the defending NFL MVP Stafford retired the door.

The kid has enactment to do.

"There was 1 concern that volition beryllium a large learning accidental connected 3rd down wherever they played a antheral sum and [Simpson] threw it to the level [instead of downfield]," McVay said. "I person to spot it, but I deliberation the pouch mightiness person allowed him to progress."

SIGN UP TO GET THE LATEST SPORTS NEWS

That's important. But it is besides important erstwhile the caput manager goes into the locker room, gives his squad his postgame thoughts, and past turns it implicit to a apical subordinate to interruption the squad down.

McVay gave that grant to Simpson successful the rookie's archetypal game.

That and this show is going to enactment a spotlight connected Simpson arsenic helium competes with Bennett for the backup job.

But nary worries, the kid's got those changeless substance messages from his father.

"He sends maine a Bible verse each time, conscionable a quote, to springiness the glory backmost to Him," Simpson said. "And it was conscionable truly cool, you know? When I person household members texting me, it's a comforting feeling."

FOLLOW ARMANDO SALGUERO ON X: @ARMANDOSALGUERO