The Rams will meet the Saints on Saturday at SoFi Stadium in 2026 Preseason Week 2, and the game will give the team another live look at Simpson, Connors, Daniels, Klare and Andersen. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. PT, with KCBS carrying the broadcast.
Simpson is the name that hangs over the matchup. He went 21-for-25 for 190 yards and two touchdowns against the Chiefs last week, then drew 12 of the 25 second-team offense reps in the joint practice with the Saints. On Tuesday, McVay said Simpson's huddle command was excellent, that he was getting the ball out on time and in rhythm, and that the Rams should maximize the reps he gets.
That praise matters because Simpson is still being treated as a player who has more to prove. The Rams are not just replaying last week’s production against the Chiefs; they are using a preseason debut at SoFi Stadium to see whether Simpson can carry that form into a different setting, with different timing and a new defense across from him. The game is the kind of evaluation point that can shape how a staff thinks about a player long after August ends.
Connors has made his own case by doing a little of everything. He caught four passes on four targets for 29 yards and two touchdowns against the Chiefs, added 22 rushing yards on six carries, and said he takes pride in being versatile. He put it simply: blocking comes first, running comes next, and receiving can be a little dash in there. McVay said the level of play from that group as a whole has raised Connors' play.
Daniels and Klare also arrive with something to build on. Daniels had five targets, two catches and 18 yards against the Chiefs, while Klare finished with seven receptions for 37 yards. McVay said Tuesday that Klare had taken a good step forward because of the extra reps created by Davis Allen's quad injury, and that he has benefited the most from work he would not have gotten otherwise. Andersen's value has shown up on the other side of the ball, after he finished the game against the Saints with eight tackles, two passes defended and one tackle for loss.
The one thing the Rams are not saying is how long any of them will stay on the field. That leaves Saturday as more than a date on the schedule and less than a full answer. Simpson, Connors, Daniels, Klare and Andersen have all given the Rams evidence to work with; the Saints game will show how much of that evidence survives once the reps are real again.
