Rams’ Sean McVay planning for both Aaron Donald scenarios at this point

NFL rosters must be set by Sunday, and the Rams continue to wait on Aaron Donald.

But the initial 53-man roster deadline is apparently not a concern for coach Sean McVay.

“We’ve had plans if he’s there, and if he’s not,” McVay said Tuesday.

McVay said the Rams are continuing to take it one day at a time as Donald, a three-time NFL defensive player of the year, decides whether he will end a two-year retirement and join a Rams team favored to win the Super Bowl.

“Our thought process has been, ‘let’s look at a 53 with him and a 53 not including him and what does that look like,’” McVay said. “Whenever a decision is made, if that is the direction he goes where he wants to play, then we have plans accordingly and if not we have plans for those as well.”

The Rams open the season Sept. 10 against the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia. Is there a scenario in which Donald joins the team after the Rams return from the opener?

“Haven’t even gotten into all of that,” McVay said. “If he decides he wants to be able to do it, then the next conversations are, ‘What is your ramp-up? What does it look like to approach whenever that would be the first time that you think would make the most sense for him to impact and influence positive change with us.”

Sean McVay has not determined if Stetson Bennett will play in the final preseason game against the Chargers on Thursday night, or whether Bennett or rookie Ty Simpson will open the season as Matthew Stafford’s backup.

But three quarterbacks will be on the roster when the Rams cut to 53 players on Sunday, McVay said Tuesday.

Bennett started against the Kansas City Chiefs and the New Orleans Saints. Against the Saints, he rushed for two touchdowns.

Simpson played very well in more than three quarters of action against the Chiefs, completing 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns. He played the second half against the Saints, but opportunities were limited.

Under a court ruling, former college players can go through NFL training camps — and if they clear waivers return to play college.

Tight end Dae’Quan Wright, who was cut by the Cleveland Browns, reportedly has an agreement in place to play for Louisiana State.

On Tuesday, ESPN’s Sarah Barshop asked Rams coach Sean McVay about his general thoughts on the issue.

“I can’t even comprehend this,” McVay said. “It’s wild.

“I don’t know enough about it other than the fact that guys that can be in NFL camps if it doesn’t go down for ‘em, they can go back to college? I mean, I feel like I took a freakin’ gummy.”

Rams offensive lineman Justin Dedich, who has been out since the start of training camp because of a hand injury, practiced for the first time Monday.

Dedich, a third-year pro from USC, has been a valuable rotational guard the last few seasons and provides depth for a team that is regarded as a Super Bowl favorite.

Dedich suffered a right-hand injury during the summer and had been on the non-football injury list.

In other injury news, the Rams put cornerback Zech McPhearson and outside linebacker Keir Thomas on injured reserve and waived inside linebacker Daniel Rickert, the team announced.

The Rams signed cornerback Steven Gilmore and outside linebacker Devean Deal.

Rookie quarterback Ty Simpson will play in the Rams’ preseason finale against the Chargers, but Stetson Bennett’s status has not been determined, coach Sean McVay said Monday.

Throughout training camp and preseason practices, Bennett has taken most second-team reps behind starter Matthew Stafford — and worked in Stafford’s place when the reigning NFL most valuable player has had scheduled rest days. Bennett started against the Kansas City Chiefs but played only two series. He started and played the first half last Saturday against the New Orleans Saints and rushed for two touchdowns.

Simpson, the 13th pick in the NFL draft, had a stellar debut against the Chiefs, but a more modest performance against the Saints.

Under McVay, the third preseason game typically has been an exercise in giving undrafted free agents a final opportunity while preserving the health of players who will make the 53-man roster.

Last season, despite being the No. 3 quarterback behind Stafford and Jimmy Garoppolo, Bennett was held out of the preseason finale against the Cleveland Browns. Dresser Winn played the entire game.

Matthew Caldwell is the fourth quarterback on the roster.

But McVay indicated the approach might be different Thursday because Bennett and Simpson have been competing to back up Stafford.

“We had our backup spot set last year,” McVay said. “We’ve got two guys that have played really good football through the course of camp.”

Entering a season in which they are favored to win the Super Bowl, the Rams have added uniforms that pay homage to past glory.

On Thursday night, during a fan event at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, the Rams unveiled two alternate ensembles that commemorate their 1951 NFL championship team and their storied defensive front of the 1960s and ‘70s.

The “Classic Sol” uniform features a yellow jersey that honors the 75th anniversary of the Rams’ title. The “Fearsome White” uniform harks to the storied Fearsome Foursome defensive line that featured Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Lamar Lundy and Rosey Grier.

Sean McVay knows the expectations.

And why not? He created them.

McVay coached the Rams to the brink of a Super Bowl appearance last season and then watched general manager Les Snead engineer two blockbuster trades that make McVay’s 10th Rams team the favorite to win Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium.

With a chance to win another championship on their home turf, the Rams are indisputably all-in. It’s Super Bowl or bust.

Even if McVay will not publicly acknowledge it.

Stetson Bennett started the first preseason game, but played only two series.

Rookie Ty Simpson played the rest of the way — and produced one of the NFL’s best performances by a quarterback.

So the biggest question for the Rams going into Saturday’s preseason game against the New Orleans Saints is whether coach Sean McVay will modify the plan for the two players competing to back up Matthew Stafford.

Bennett, a fourth-year pro, displayed and played with confidence throughout training camp and preseason practices. But his first series against the Kansas City Chiefs — which came against many defensive starters — went three and out. In his final series, he completed four of five passes during a field-goal drive.

Do you think the Rams have a tracker at their headquarters for how many days it’s been since Puka Nacua’s last embarrassing incident?

They might. Because we all remember how frequently the self-inflicted damages were occurring during that bizarre and jarring stretch starting late last year.

We had the biting incident and alleged antisemitic comments on New Year’s Eve. Before that, we had the Rams’ star receiver making antisemitic gestures on a livestream with a couple of controversial streamers.

We also had him publicly calling out NFL officials on a stream and in a social media post sent from the locker room, and getting fined $25,000 by the league for that. We had his weird post on X — a laughing emoji and “sam darnold” — after the Seattle Seahawks’ quarterback led his team to the Super Bowl LX championship on Feb. 9, when Nacua also was recorded stumbling and dancing in a San Francisco street after the game.

When he retired in March 2024, I thought: That makes sense, the only person who could possibly stop Aaron Donald would be Aaron Donald.

Now I’m not so sure.

Because it’s starting to look like even Aaron Donald might not be able to stop Aaron Donald.

The defensive lineman could be back terrorizing the NFL this season.

The Rams knew the resume. Saw the highlights. Gathered all the intel required.

But they were not aware of Myles Garrett’s aura.

How could they?

It’s not tangible, nor easily defined.

It’s just there.

“You just feel him,” coach Sean McVay said Friday.

McVay felt and said that before. About Aaron Donald. About Jalen Ramsey.

But listening to Rams players talk about Garrett, this feels different.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It did not take long for Ty Simpson to acclimate to the NFL.

In his pro debut, the Rams rookie quarterback passed for two touchdowns and made no major errors in a 20-12 preseason victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium.

“I definitely felt more comfortable than I ever have in a game,” said Simpson, who completed 21 of 25 attempts for 190 yards.

It was a much-awaited first game for Simpson after the Rams shocked fans and much of the NFL by picking him so high in the draft after he started only 15 games for Alabama.

A few hours after their season-ending defeat in the NFC championship game last January, the Rams boarded a plane for their flight home from Seattle.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford was seated a row in front of veteran receiver Davante Adams, who once again had fallen just short of finally reaching the Super Bowl.

“He’s turning around, he’s looking at me, like, ‘I’m sorry, man, I wanted that for you so bad,’” Adams recalled. “Not for him, but he wanted it for me.”

Adams, 33, is expected to get another shot at playing on the NFL’s biggest stage.

Steve Kerr, who has coached the Golden State Warriors to four NBA titles, attended Rams practice with assistant Frank Vogel, who coached the Lakers to a title in 2020.

Afterward, coach Sean McVay, general manager Les Snead and former Rams lineman Andrew Whitworth met with Kerr and Vogel on the field.

“Steve’s a guy I’ve been friends with for awhile,” McVay said. “I love everything about how he leads, how he enjoys it, how he stays connected with his players. ... It’s really cool to be able to share...

“Everything that he’s about, and the way that he feels like he’s in it with his players, and just the caliber of human being that he is, I’ve learned a lot from Steve.”

With Rams starters and other significant players not playing in preseason games, Thursday’s joint practice with the New Orleans Saints offered quarterback Matthew Stafford and others another opportunity to prepare for what many project as a Super Bowl season.

Star receiver Puka Nacua remained sidelined because of a groin issue, so Stafford connected multiple times with star receiver Davante Adams, tight end Terrance Ferguson and others during a workout that lasted just over 90 minutes.

Coach Sean McVay said that he and Saints coach Kellen Moore cut the practice short because the Saints were coming off a Tuesday practice with the Dallas Cowboys. At least five Saints players left the field on Thursday because of injuries.

During the Rams’ joint practice with the Cowboys last week, quarterback Stetson Bennett took nearly all of the second-team reps. On Thursday, Bennett took 13 snaps, rookie Ty Simpson 12.

Simpson was coming off an outstanding debut in last Saturday’s 20-12 preseason victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Bennett started that game and played two series before giving way to Simpson.

On Thursday, both had their moments.

Simpson had two passes intercepted, but he tossed several touchdowns during a red-zone drill. Bennett also completed several passes for touchdowns.

Rams defensive end Myles Garrett (knee), tight end Davis Allen (quadriceps) and rookie offensive lineman Keagen Trost remain sidelined.

The Rams play the Saints on Saturday at SoFi Stadium.

The Aaron Donald watch continues.

On Thursday, coach Sean McVay was asked if Donald, a three-tine NFL defensive player of the year, would do more workouts before deciding whether or not he will come out of retirement to join the Super Bowl-favorite Rams.

Donald worked out at Loyola Marymount when the Rams were in training camp, and last week at the Rams facility in Woodland Hills.

“We’ll see,” McVay said. “I would love to be able to have all this stuff figured out but ... I know he’s feeling good, and I think he will continue to work out, and I’m hopeful that we’ll have some answers on that sooner than later.”

Here’s a recap of everything that has happened in Rams training camp and practices ahead of the start of the 2026 season:

Rams

Puka Nacua sits out practice Monday; Keagen Trost could miss ‘a few weeks’

Rams receiver Puka Nacua did not practice Monday because of a groin injury that forced him to sit out much of last week’s joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys, but coach Sean McVay said the All-Pro was “doing good.”

Aug. 17, 2026

Rams

Rams training camp updates: Aaron Donald comeback hits ‘tryout’ trail

Follow along for the latest news and developments from Rams training camp as the team prepares to embark on a new season as the favorite to win the Super Bowl.

Aug. 5, 2026

Rams

Rams training camp updates: Puka Nacua ‘trying to take accountability’

Follow along for the latest news and developments from Rams training camp as the team prepares to embark on a new season as the favorite to win the Super Bowl.

July 30, 2026