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Matthew Caldwell — IR
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Sleeper status change for Matthew Caldwell (13597). Before: status=Active, injury_status=—. After: status=Active, injury_status=IR
Matthew Caldwell
QB · LAR · 23 yrs · exp 0 · Texas
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Stetson Bennett to start for Rams on Saturday vs. Chiefs
Rams rookie quarterback Ty Simpson will make his preseason debut on Saturday against the Chiefs. But he will not be Los Angeles’ first signal-caller up. Via multiple reporters, head coach Sean McVay said in his Thursday press conference that Stetson Bennett will start the preseason opener. Bennett, a fourth-round pick in 2023, is currently in line to serve as Matthew Stafford’s backup, as Jimmy Garoppolo was not re-signed in free agency — though Garoppolo is still available. Bennett has not yet appeared in a regular-season game. Last year, he completed 69 percent of his passes for 512 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions in the preseason, good for a 105.7 passer rating. Simpson is set to come in at some point after Bennett. The Rams also have rookie Matthew Caldwell on their roster at QB. The Rams have not played starters in the preseason under McVay for the vast majority of his tenure with the team. Additionally, McVay noted offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase will serve as the offensive play-caller for the Saturday’s game. McVay handles those duties for L.A. in the regular season
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Ty Simpson will play in the preseason; no decision has been made about Stetson Bennett playing
As the Rams prepare for the first of their three preseason games, coach Sean McVay has made a decision as to whether one of his top backup quarterbacks will play. As to the other, McVay has not. McVay told reporters on Saturday that rookie first-rounder Ty Simpson “definitely” will play. As to veteran Stetson Bennett, McVay said this: “I haven’t decided on Stetson yet.” If Bennett doesn’t play, the 12 quarters of preseason reps will be handled by Simpson and Matthew Caldwell, an undrafted rookie who finished his college career at Texas. Bennett, 28, was a fourth-round pick in the 2023 draft. He has yet to make a regular-season appearance for the Rams. Eventually, McVay will have to decide whether Simpson or Bennett (or, in theory, Caldwell) will serve as the No. 2 quarterback behind 2025 NFL MVP Matthew Stafford. The decision surely will be influenced by Simpson’s performance in the preseason. Depending on how things go, the Rams may need to revisit the possibility of persuading Jimmy Garoppolo, who is open to playing in 2026 , to serve as Stafford’s understudy for a third straight season. McVay may not know for sure until after the third preseason game
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All 86 Rams players, ranked
The Los Angeles Rams have 86 players on the roster as of today. Can you name all of them? You will be able to after you read this. Although ranking players is rather impossible, abstract, and unnecessary, the reason I did it for the current Rams roster is not about assigning values or playing favorites. It’s so that every Rams fans who finds this article will have a better idea of what names to watch in training camp, decide for themselves who they want to root for to make the 53-man roster and practice squad, and come up with their own opinions on who should be ranked and how high or low they should fall. Nobody can rank Rams players except for Sean McVay. Well, I did it anyway. Undrafted free agents can, and often do, make the final 53-man roster. Most of them will end up on the practice squad, if they survive training camp at all. Being ranked at the bottom of this list is not meant to imply that the player has no shot at the roster or practice squad. The ranking is merely based on a lack of information relative to the other 70 guys on the roster right now. Some of these players are 100% more important and relevant than guys ranked ahead of them. They’re victims of circumstance: They have never had a training camp before and they went undrafted. By this time next year, several of these players could prove to be hugely important. This is merely an initial list of undrafted free agents who are currently on the roster and there’s nowhere to go but up; G Chad Lindberg got a $15k guarantee, second-highest in the class, and has already been waived. However, I’ve still ranked the top-3 UDFAs by their guarantee, led by TE Dan Villari. 86. OLB Eddie Walls III 85. RB Dean Connors, 84. CB Nyzier Fourqurean 83. CB Drey Norwood 82. OLB Darryl Peterson III 81. OL Bryce Henderson 80. C Austin Blaske 79. QB Matthew Caldwell 78. DT Jaxson Moi 77. S Nick Anderson 76. LB Nikhai Hill-Green 75. TE Rohan Jones 74. OLB Wesley Bailey 73. CB Az’Zillion Hamilton ($5k gtee) 72. DT Payton Zdroik ($9k gtee) 71. TE Dan Villari ($45k gtee) So this the first 16 players on the list. Tell me in the comments. I’m slotting longsnapper Joe Cardona at 70 and yes, he will make the roster. It just goes to prove to you: This list is NOT based on likelihood of making the roster. Longsnappers are largely interchangeable. It’s good that L.A. has Cardona instead of the problems they had at longsnapper last year though. The rest are UDFAs going into year 2. It doesn’t mean Tanner Ingle is “worse” than someone ranked ahead of him. But we had to start somewhere. 70. LS Joe Cardona 69. WR Mario Williams 68. RB Jordan Waters 67. S Nate Valcarcel 66. DT Bill Norton 65. TE Mark Redman 64. OL Wyatt Bowles 63. DB Alex Johnson 62. WR Tru Johnson 61. CB Cam Lampkin 60. WR Brennan Presley 59. S Tanner Ingle Presley made the most noise in the 2025 preseason. So did Ingle, but he only managed a handful of snaps. Will that go up in 2026? These players are mostly veterans who have yet to really establish themselves as 53-man regulars, for the most part, plus L.A.’s two late-round picks, CJ Daniels and Tim Keenan. I know that some people have already slotted Daniels into a 2026 Pro Bowl spot, because after all there are sixth-round receivers as good as Puka Nacua like six times a year, right? But let’s see if the 24-year-old rookie can earn a role on offense in any capacity this season first. Compare that to say, Xavier Smith , who is ranked higher. Widely hated for muffing those punts last year, Smith had 303 yards last season and is still the front-runner to return punts. He’s not a part of L.A.’s long-term plans, but Xavier Smith is more likely than Daniels to be in their 2026 plans. Tyler Scott is a new addition, a former fourth-round pick by the Bears. He has great speed and is the same age as Daniels. He might be one to watch. Stetson Bennett probably isn’t one to watch. Will the Rams make a veteran QB addition soon? 58. OL David Que [... truncated ...]
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Rams QB Ty Simpson embracing an unusual bedtime routine to spur his development
Ty Simpson listens to himself in the evening before he falls asleep. And also when he gets up in the morning and heads to work at the Rams ’ practice facility. The rookie quarterback hears his own voice on audio recordings as he recites the team’s play calls. “I want to make sure it’s the last thing I think about when I go to bed,” he said recently, “and the first thing that I wake up to.” The Rams ended their offseason program last week. But Simpson, a Tennessee native, said he would remain in Southern California and continue to study in preparation for training camp at Loyola Marymount in late July. Read more: Why Sean McVay decided to cancel Rams minicamp this year Simpson began the practice of recording himself at Alabama , where he was the starter in the last of his four seasons with the Crimson Tide. Now he is the heir apparent to Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford , the reigning NFL most valuable player. The Rams surprised many when they used the 13th pick in the draft to select Simpson , who started only 15 games. But Simpson is doing everything he can to fit into a position group that includes Stafford, 38, fourth-year signal-caller Stetson Bennett and undrafted free agent Matthew Caldwell . “Feel like I’m a freshman again — drinking from a fire hydrant,” he said, adding that he knows and is comfortable with high expectations. “The quarterback runs the show here, just how I like it.” Stafford, entering his 18th season, has said that Simpson has not been shy about asking questions. “I hope I’m not annoying him,” Simpson said, “but I really appreciate the big brother kind of role he’s playing in my development.” Stafford is “the MVP for a reason,” Simpson said. “Everything he does, he’s so just aware of everything, aware of how everything works. ... I really appreciate him and Stetson taking me in and answering all the questions I have.” Bennett got limited reps during the offseason program. But his opportunities are expected to increase during training camp as the Rams manage Stafford’s workload. When asked about Bennett, coach Sean McVay and offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase seemingly have gone out of their way to speak generally about rookies. “They’re way behind in terms of just the overall teaching progression but they’re learning,” McVay said. “Ty, like the rest of the rookies, are doing a really nice job.” Read more: 'It would be a fun year.' Rams all for Aaron Donald returning to pair with Myles Garrett Scheelhaase, who went through several head coach interviews during the offseason, is in his first season as the Rams’ coordinator. “I’ve been encouraged with all of our rookies, including Ty,” Scheelhaase said. “First things first, you want to see, do they come in? Are they coachable? Are they willing to work? And you’ve seen that from Ty from Day 1.” Simpson said that, so far, the jump from college to the NFL has not been daunting. Quarterback coach Dave Ragone and teammates have helped ease the transition. “The biggest thing is just how detail-oriented everybody is,” Simpson said, adding, “It’s really, really cool because, coming from Alabama in the SEC, that’s how pro-ready I felt.” With Stafford under contract through the 2027 season, Simpson might not play for a few years. But if Stafford were to suffer an injury, his time could come sooner. Simpson is expected to play extensively during preseason games later this summer. To make sure he’s prepared, Simpson recites and listens to his play calls. “So when I get in the game and hear a play call, I can just imagine it and see it,” he said. “That’s a big thing, just knowing the terminology and being detail-oriented just like Matthew and Stetson.” Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times
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Who will make the Rams opening roster?
With Los Angeles Rams OTAs winding down to next week’s finale, a mandatory three-day mini camp, L.A. is officially in pursuit of Super Bowl LXI. This season’s extravaganza will be held on the Rams home field, SoFi Stadium, February 14, 2027. Having just come up short in the past two seasons, the Rams continue pursuit, making off season moves to solidify weak areas of the roster and hopefully, get them over the top. OTAs are mostly about scheme change installations, getting the the team acclimated to new teammates, and preaching the “Rams way”. Still it’s not too early to project who will be the Rams opening 53 players. There may be a lot of time left until final cut downs, but the depth of the roster only leaves a handful of open spots. Here’s how I would fill them and some of my preseason thoughts. Opening roster in bold. Starter: Matthew Stafford Primary backups: Ty Simpson , Stetson Bennett Cut/practice squad: Matthew Caldwell The only question at QB is who would come off the bench if Stafford is injured. If the absence is a longer term, let Simpson loose to sink or swim. In a short term, there is an argument to be made for Bennett, he has shown incremental year-to-year improvement during preseason games and in theory, should have a good grasp of the offensive principles in Year 3. Starter: Kyren Williams Primary backups: Blake Corum , Jarquez Hunter Roster bubble: Ronnie Rivers Cut/practice squad: Jordan Waters, Dean Conners Luxury problems here. The Rams could likely get away with rostering three backs and keep two on the practice squad. KWill has three straight seasons of 1100+ yard rushing and double-digit touchdowns with a catch rate at 75 percent, yet, Corum showed explosive qualities last year and deserves more work. A single offensive rep would be an uptick for Hunter, who remains stalled behind L.A.’s talented tandem. The bottom three of the unit would all likely clear waivers and be eligible for the practice squad, Rivers is a known quantity for his adequate all-around play, Conners gives of the same vibes, but is quicker, and Waters offers a big body for short yardage. Starters: Puka Nacua , Davante Adams Primary backups: Jordan Whittington , CJ Daniels, Konata Mumpfield , Xavier Smith Roster battle/bubble: Tyler Scott , Harold Presley Cut/practice squad: Mario Williams , Tru Edwards If both L.A.’s stars, Nacua and Adams can stay healthy, the lack of depth at WR#3 will be mostly negated. But doubts will linger, if one or both get nicked up and misses extended action. Whittington gets a real chance to prove he can handle the Rams role that he played in college, the quiet guy who does tough-guy work underneath and around the line of scrimmage. Mumpfield and Daniels are similar athletically, adequate. Daniels appears to be stronger at the catch point, while Mumpfield should be improved over his rookie season. Smith holds the sixth and final roster spot, if only because the Rams did not invest in a viable replacement as punt returner. Presley and Scott could challenge him for the “little guy” spot by proving they can return kicks. Williams and Edwards are long shots, but both had their moments in last year’s preseason. Starters: Colby Parkinson , Terrance Ferguson Primary backups: Tyler Higbee , Davis Allen , Max Klare Roster bubble: Dan Villari Cut/practice squad: Rohan Jones, Mark Redman The Rams have the depth here to make up for the lack at WR#3. All of the condensed sets, stacked receivers, and motion create a scenario where three wide receiver and two tight end formations could be considered interchangeable. The vets, Parkinson, Higbee, and Allen all have a solid grasp on the offense and good hands to boot, they combine for a shade under 70 percent catch rate. Ferguson should have a bigger taste of the offense in Year 2, he’s shown the juice to get deep, now needs to show it with the ball in his hands on shorter routes. Klare shares those same traits. Villari is interesting because of his [... truncated ...]
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