NFL Catchup: Rams Name Ty Simpson QB3; Cardinals Extend WR Michael Wilson

At long last, the NFL season is right around the corner. We are less than a week away from kickoff, and as initial 53-man depth charts take shape, final roster moves and tactical shifts are making noise across the league.

The Los Angeles Rams officially revealed their Week 1 depth chart, listing rookie Ty Simpson as the third-string quarterback. Meanwhile, the NFC West news gets even more intriguing with the Arizona Cardinals agreeing to a massive multi-year extension with wide receiver Michael Wilson.

Staying in the NFC, the Chicago Bears are managing practice injuries with wide receiver Rome Odunze and running back D’Andre Swift. Following that, it turns out New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo briefly considered retirement while recovering from last year’s season-ending ankle injury.

Here’s the latest NFL news around the league on Thursday. 

After a strong preseason showing, the Los Angeles Rams have released their depth chart for the start of the 2026 season. With Week 1 on the way, head coach Sean McVay has opted for Stetson Bennett as Matthew Stafford’s backup quarterback. That means Ty Simpson, who the team took with the 13th overall pick in April’s draft, will be the third-string quarterback. 

The Rams had been adamant about Simpson sitting and learning this season, especially as Stafford nears the end of his career. Stafford’s timeline remains uncertain, but he has been at the center of retirement rumors over the last couple of years. 

Simpson and Bennett were in lockstep all camp, but Bennett ultimately took the edge. After watching both get extensive preseason reps, McVay appears to agree, favoring Bennett for the backup job.

“Stetson Bennett being named the No. 2 QB by the Rams over Ty Simpson should not be surprising,” our Eric D. Williams noted. “He was clearly the better player during training camp. But Simpson showed steady improvement.”

The Rams are set to head to Australia to face off against the NFC West division rival San Francisco 49ers for Week 1.

The Arizona Cardinals reached an agreement Thursday on a three-year contract extension with wide receiver Michael Wilson, according to reports from ESPN and NFL Network. The deal keeps the 26-year-old receiver under contract with the franchise through the 2029 season.

Originally selected by Arizona in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Stanford, Wilson has established himself as a primary target in the Cardinals’ offense alongside Trey McBride.

Wilson is expected to officially sign the contract on Thursday ahead of Arizona’s regular-season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 13.

New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo shared that he briefly considered retiring from the NFL after suffering a severe ankle injury last year. 

Skattebo, who suffered a dislocated ankle, open tibia fracture, and ruptured deltoid ligament in Week 8, shared during an appearance on “Up & Adams” that he contemplated stepping away about a month into his rehabilitation.

“The first month was kind of like, ‘Damn, do I really want to do this?’” Skattebo said. “I think [the injury] gave me an extra step of finding that deep place and coming out of a hole that I didn’t know I could come out of. I’m appreciative of it, and I’m excited to see what I can build on it.”

Skattebo noted he had a personal rule in college to retire if he suffered a major injury, but ultimately decided to return after showing promise over seven full games as a rookie. 

Before the injury, he compiled 410 rushing yards, 207 receiving yards, and seven total touchdowns. The second-year back returned to the field during the preseason on Aug. 15 and is projected to lead a Giants backfield rotation that features Najee Harris, Tyrone Tracy Jr., and Devin Singletary.

The Chicago Bears had a pair of injury scares right before Week 1. Wide receiver Rome Odunze and running back D’Andre Swift were both reportedly sidelined during practice Thursday. According to reports, Odunze exited with a member of the training staff near the beginning of practice and appeared to be dealing with a right leg or foot injury.

Odunze, who missed five games last season with a foot fracture, enters the 2026 campaign expected to serve as Chicago’s top receiver alongside Luther Burden III following the offseason trade of DJ Moore.

Swift’s injury reportedly occurred near the end of practice during a full-team drill.

With backup Kyle Monangai currently sidelined with a hyperextended knee, Swift’s exit leaves Chicago’s running back room rather thin heading into the holiday weekend. 

• The Las Vegas Raiders are signing former New York Giants first-round pick in guard Evan Neal, per ESPN.
• The Indianapolis Colts officially announced that Anthony Richardson will be the backup quarterback to Daniel Jones this season.
• The Dallas Cowboys restructured the contracts of defensive tackle Kenny Clark, cornerback DaRon Bland and tight end Jake Ferguson, first reported by ESPN. The team has cleared up close to $19 million in cap space.