Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said he thought rookie quarterback Ty Simpson had "good command" of the offense during his NFL debut Saturday in a 20-12 preseason victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Simpson, drafted with the 13th pick, played the final three quarters, completing 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
"I thought he took what the defense gave him," McVay said. "I thought he read the plays out, read with his feet. I thought he did a really good job overall. ... I thought he kept the ball in play. That's the biggest thing, is keeping the ball in play."
Though he didn't know what to expect going into his first NFL game, Simpson said that after the first drive that it felt "just like playing in the backyard."
Simpson is the first player with 190 passing yards and two touchdown passes in his preseason debut since Baker Mayfield did it with the Cleveland Browns in 2018, according to ESPN Research. Simpson completed passes to seven players, and both of his touchdown passes went to running back Dean Connors.
Simpson received extended playing time in part because McVay doesn't play his starters or key backups during the preseason. Simpson didn't get significant reps during training camp, especially on days quarterback Matthew Stafford was practicing.
Stetson Bennett IV, who is also competing to back up Stafford, started the game for the Rams. A 2023 fourth-round pick, Bennett compiled 4 of 6 passes for 38 yards in his two drives.
After the game, Simpson was asked about the competition at backup quarterback but said he is focused on being "the best version" of himself.
"I really don't get into that, honestly," Simpson said. "I really just try to be the best version of myself I can be and compete with myself. A lot of the time, people get caught up in 'who is better than who' and 'who is going to get this spot' and stuff. But at the end of the day, I'm just trying to prepare me for the future and try to stack days and [make] progress."