I’ll concede Matthew Stafford playing through Ty Simpson’s rookie deal may be less than ideal…there’s also the chance that Stafford continues to be the best option for the Rams as they go forward.
Stafford earns every year he starts
Sean McVay has shown a willingness to move on from players who aren’t performing, that includes quarterback. If Stafford isn’t replaced by Simpson as we go year-to-year, we can assume that Stafford is still the best QB on L.A.‘s roster.
Stafford’s been successful with the Rams
Since Stafford’s joined the Rams, as long as he’s been healthy, L.A.‘s
had a shot at a deep playoff run every season. As he’s aged, Stafford’s play under McVay has continued to improve culminating up to his most recent MVP season, arguably his best year in L.A.
The “wasted pick” argument
The discussion that Ty Simpson is a “wasted pick”, or that the Rams should’ve gotten someone to help Stafford now, as opposed to a backup quarterback who MAY one day become the starting quarterback for the Rams…it’s a real discussion.
But even if Simpson turns out to be a “wasted pick”, that doesn’t mean the Rams cannot sustain success with Stafford.
Now, if Stafford regresses, and the Rams are tied to him financially while Simpson fails to develop, that’s a problem (worth discussion, yes). However, Stafford playing soundly several years or more, that doesn’t need to be a negative for the Rams.
Stafford playing another four or five years would be more positive than negative for L.A.
Stafford playing another four to five years is hard to imagine, any player is one hit away from potentially missing a MASSIVE amount of time, and players aged 38+, like Stafford, are historically closer to the end of their career than the beginning, yet, L.A.’s leading man has been one of the rare exceptions who’s continued to improve towards the back half of his career.
Maybe the Ammortal Chamber really works?
Whatever is working, if Stafford can stay on the trajectory of strong play for the next several years, that should be a blessing for the Rams, not a curse. Meanwhile, Simpson will just have to wait his turn, whether it’s with the Rams or not.
