The pressure is on Los Angeles Rams rookie quarterback Ty Simpson before he ever steps onto the field.
Several notable first-year signal callers have seen the field this preseason and have played admirably, further putting the heat on Simpson ahead of his expected NFL debut Saturday.
It all kicked off with Cardinals quarterback Carson Beck in last week’s Hall of Fame Game. Beck went 15-of-19 for 188 yards and a touchdown, showcasing poise and his strong playmaking ability throughout. Although he was
ruled out with a rib injury in Arizona’s second preseason game, Beck had shown enough to put himself in line to potentially start for the Redbirds sometime this season, which wouldn’t be surprising.
Read more: Cardinals might not be the pushover we expect
It’s a shame that Beck didn’t play Thursday against the Raiders, because then fans could’ve seen him pitted against top overall pick Fernando Mendoza. No national championship encore for us, but that’s okay. The lone QB taken ahead of Simpson in the NFL draft played well. Mendoza was efficient, going 10-of-16 for 97 yards and a touchdown in nearly three quarters’ work.
The reigning Heisman winner is unlikely to dethrone expected starter Kirk Cousins after one solid performance, yet he has all the makings of a franchise quarterback, something desperately needed in Vegas.
In the Steelers-Packers matchup Thursday night, Pittsburgh’s Drew Allar exceeded expectations in front of the home crowd. After an underwhelming finish to his Penn State career, lowlighted by a season-ending ankle injury, Allar commanded head coach Mike McCarthy’s offense with ease.
The former Nittany Lions star, who was taken with the 76th overall pick, finished the 28-9 win over Green Bay with three total touchdowns. He even had a 74-yard throw on his first drive, which ultimately led to his first score of the night.
While again, we’re only talking about preseason here, Simpson will, fair or not, be compared to his fellow rookie QBs following Saturday’s game.
The NFL media and fans love to jump to conclusions immediately after one game. And you can expect that the Simpson bust talk, or questioning the Rams’ judgment for taking him, will occur should he struggle in Kansas City. You just know it’s going to happen too because social media is a cesspool of icy cold takes.
TST’s JB Scott noted that Stetson Bennett will likely have a superior supporting cast when he starts against the Chiefs Saturday. By the time Simpson takes the field, he’ll be playing with guys who, to put it kindly, aren’t the cream of the crop. So already, he’s being put at a disadvantage before ever taking the field.
Due to his first round draft status, you can expect the pressure to be greater for Simpson this weekend compared to his fellow rookie quarterbacks. Outside of Mendoza, there’s no other signal caller from this year’s draft class who will be scrutinized more than the Rams’ QB.
