Week 1 of the NFL Preseason gave the first glimpse of NFL action for Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson. The two quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft saw extended action, and while neither is expected to start at the beginning of the regular season, they had positive moments to look forward to in the next two games.
Chase Daniel Praises Ty Simpson After Impressive Performance in Preseason
Despite being the first overall pick, all signs point to the Las Vegas Raiders putting Kirk Cousins as their Week 1 starter, with the franchise protecting Mendoza during his early career. The story is different for the Los Angeles Rams: Matthew Stafford is the established starter, and Simpson won’t play unless Stafford is hurt.
But the first preseason game for Simpson was impressive. The Rams don’t usually play their starters in preseason, especially with Stafford having an advanced age. As such, he played for most of the game, with two initial drives for Stetson Bennett before Simpson closed out the game.
And his numbers were great. He finished the game with 21 completed passes out of 25 attempts, 190 yards, and two touchdowns.
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Those who paid attention were impressed, with former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel not shy to give his take on the quarterbacks who played their first career game:
“This dude has looked the best out of the rookie QB’s & it’s not particularly close”, said Daniel.
This dude has looked the best out of the rookie QB’s & it’s not particularly close https://t.co/St2udsAocJ
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) August 15, 2026
In his preseason debut against the Arizona Cardinals, Mendoza completed 10/16 of his throws for 97 yards and a touchdown as his team lost 27-14.
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Simpson’s reading of the game was impressive, and he made many good throws. As always, preseason performances must be taken with a grain of salt, especially given that he played against the Kansas City Chiefs’ backups rather than Steve Spagnuolo fully unloading his complex defensive scheme.
On the other hand, Rams fans will love seeing the young quarterback take advantage of his opportunities. He’s unlikely to see any meaningful snaps in the regular season: Bennett is the primary backup to Stafford, and the franchise drafted Simpson as a developmental piece while the reigning NFL MVP plays the final years of his career.
Still, based on Carson Beck’s initial game against the Carolina Panthers and Mendoza also throwing a few good passes against the Cardinals on Thursday, it’s notable that Simpson was considered the most impressive quarterback.
In his final college season at Alabama, he finished with an 85.4 grade per our PFN CFB QB Impact Metric, good for No. 25 out of 190 quarterbacks.
